Leaving Imagination Behind
Do you remember, as a child living every day and every moment as an adventure and journey with the use of imagination? It seems that as we grow the adventure and excitement by using imagination tends to turn into “just living life” and the joy of making something great out of every situation subsides. Where crossing the dining room’s wood floor was a pit of fire or a deep ocean and the rugs were stones to jump on. Although the pit of fire and stones have been replaced with reality, every situation and moment we go through is still a journey and adventure. All the happy times, struggles, changes, and just life in general is a story being built without the exciting imagination of a child that we had in our younger days. What if we put back the excitement back in our journeys by using imagination?
This story is going to do just that. It will take us on a spiritual journey from innocence to backsliding to be the prodigal son all with the use of imagination to bring a sense of excitement and adventure back in to the path of our daily lives. The story focuses on the journey of Aaron Whalbring who loves the Almighty God but makes mistakes and struggles (as we all do at times) with a chance of not making it back to be a true believing Child of God.
Instead of leaving childlike imagination behind, this story will capture the journey of this man’s path to righteousness with an explicit image of what it really feels like or what it would look like in the eyes of child with an extensive knowledge.
Innocence Interrupted
Aaron Whalbring was born in a small town to God fearing family who still believed in Jesus, the Word of God and the plan of salvation. He often felt that the corn fields that covered this small little town were jungles filled with intrigue and surprises down every row or around every bend. Each citizen of this town along with every stranger being a unique character in the story of his life while living in the pages of their own stories and adventures. In every face there was an experience etched into each smile or frown that suggested what type of story they might be living such as a horror story, comedy, suspense, or drama. He thought to himself that maybe that sweat on that individual’s brow might have been that they just were in a battle with Goliath. Just as in the Bible maybe this current David fought a giant that seemed to all others as impossible, but they just defeated this battle against their giant with the help of their Lord. Speaking of Goliath, Aaron was about to face his first Goliath. As David had his sling and three stones; the only thing that will have saved him was God and three prayers warriors, but we will come back to this. This is how Aaron saw life and it was intriguing to him to watch stories unfold in his life as well as in other peoples’ lives.
Every Sunday Aaron and his family rode to the church that seemed like the country roads were guiding them to an epic center of unique characters. In church Aaron saw those that were true Christians, pretenders, and those that wore mask to hide what they really were. He saw some of the saints as hecklers that really were not good for anything but hinders to the kingdom and God’s plan. Those that would talk behind your back or say things that made you feel worthless or like it was not worth even trying to live for God. Aaron saw these people as hyenas tearing the newborn saints and Oldtimers to pieces. At a young age it was his belief that it is our jobs as Christians to spread God’s love and plan of salvation to those that need it and he knew we could not do this by tearing them down.
He also saw a character he called the candy man. This gentleman was older with snow white hair, brown eyes and a stalky built which Aaron thought of as looking like a cartoon character. He was a good man that gave a piece of candy to him every week. Some may say what kind of Christian was he, but to Aaron this man was a good man because he cared enough to have a piece of candy for him every week. It was Aaron’s thought that we as Christians should be caring. Although that is not the only thing we need, in his eyes the Candy Man was a good man.
Then you have the pretenders, which in his eyes were like Hollywood actors or clowns always putting on a show or hiding what they really were. Just like the story you have heard about the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Such as the those that smile but were dying inside because of events that were happening in their personal lives or those that talk nice to you when together but are trying to destroy you behind the scenes. Aaron found the first example as small puppy dogs that have been neglected or that are sad; and this broke his little heart as it should all Christians. The other group he saw as spies working for an unseen enemy or leader. He feared these people along with hoping that they would reap what they have sown.
As he went to church every week he saw these different types of “Christians” which he thought that word has been used very loosely in some cases. The ones he really loved watching and wanted to be like were the “Angels”; these were those that were spiritually in tune with the will of God and prayer warriors. The ones that would earnestly pray with tears rolling down their face. He called them angels because he saw them as angels rejoicing in field of happiness and a peace that he felt was like a mighty rushing wind (as in the Bible) that blew a calmness through spirit and body. These folks had their problems, but as far as he could see, they trusted and put all their hope in Jesus. He thought to himself many times “Now these are Christians!” He had heard his mother tell the stories of when he was two years old and he was praying at the altar. She said it was beyond mimicking what he had seen, but real tears strolling that his cheeks. This is the type of sensitive to the Spirit of God and prayer warrior he wanted to be. As he strived to be like these “angels”, this is when his first Goliath entered the seen as a foe that came up unexpected but was enormous in strength.
Aaron started hanging out with friends from school and the neighborhood. As in war, the enemy knows your weaknesses and your strengths. You better bet that the enemy has done his research and has studied your every movement. This is no different than the devil. Aaron’s imagination and wanting to be something else in a different world is what the enemy focused on. Some may say that role-playing games are just that “games.” They are so much more; they are a portal to being someone or something else and filled with demonic spirits ready to take over once you have given in. Aaron found out the hard way, how real this statement really is.
He started playing role-playing games to escape the reality of what was going on around him. His demeanor had changed and he started to drift away from being the kind and joyful kid to an angry and depressed kid. As he sat on a pew one Sunday night, he truly saw dancing demons. He knew this went beyond his imagination, this was real. Well, you may say, “How did he see them in the church?” These spirits will go wherever you take them and wherever they are welcomed. He sat there in scared and depressed sense of being, and his mother saw this. Remember earlier when I stated that he had a sling and three stones? The prayer warriors that represented the stones in this battle were his mother, father, and pastor (which was his uncle) and the sling was God. They started praying and God slayed the demonic giant that had interrupted Aaron’s innocence.
From that point, he knew to handle and control his imagination because he knew that these imaginations could become reality. He also realized that along as there is good, there must be bad. This is when the innocence of his childhood day dreams were interrupted by the harsh reality that there was a spiritual war brewing and could be manifested differently in every individual.
The Spiritual Struggle of a Teenager
As Aaron grew older into his teenage years the struggle between what was right and wrong became harder especially the innocence he was possessed was damaged. He loved church, but he also loved the things of the world such as music, movies and being popular with non-Christians (or at least those who do not share his beliefs). The Bible states that a man cannot serve two masters, and this became reality to Aaron later in life.
Another alluring aspect of life that could possibly draw a man away from his beliefs are women and this would be no different for Aaron. He grew up with the belief that sex should only be in the realm of marriage and anything else such as kissing can enhance a burning want to engage in this act. This is a tool that the enemy would use in an extreme way later in Aaron’s future.
Aaron had friends in church and some that were apart of the secular world along with some that tried to live both by blurring the lines which leads to destruction. When you cannot see or distinguish the line you are most likely to lean towards the one that looks more appealing to you. More often than not it will be the wrong side of that line. Aaron had moments of a extreme sensitivity and experience in Godly manner with prayer and worship. Then he had moments of wanting to be part of the world. It was a struggle that would go on for years.
TO BE CONTINUED…