It was a rare and glorious sunny day in Seattle as I drove home with my four-year-old. Typically, Seattle in spring is not overly rainy, but it is reliably gray. On this day, however, the sky was blue and scattered with giant puffy clouds — the type a child draws in all their pictures. Olivia had been unusually quiet in the back when she suddenly asked, “What do you think it would be like to live in the clouds?” This was a different type of thinking for Olivia, a different form of imagining. Caught a bit by surprise, I turned the question back to her, “What do you think it would be like?” Without hesitation she responded, “If I lived in the clouds, I would lie down on them and take a big soft cloud blanket and pull it over me.” As she said it, I could picture it — a giant Olivia in the sky snuggled up in the clouds with her fluffy cloud blanket. Her imagination spurred mine and I could picture myself with her, living in the clouds.

The loss of imagination is one of the great tragedies of adulthood. Some adults excel at working their imagination muscle, using it daily in their work and home lives. Yet for many, this gift seems to fade away as we settle into the realities and practicalities of the world. But as I ponder Olivia’s cloud blankets and the many incredible questions my children ask throughout the day, I wonder if this could this be a part of what Jesus meant when He said the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who become like little children (Matt. 18:3)? Much of what He has to say about being like a child is related to humility, trust and obedience, but it could easily be argued that all of these connect to imagination.

When we’re humble, we’re open-minded to other possibilities. Our imaginations are free to admit there are ways better than our own. We have the freedom to view others with a deep respect and dignity that is missed when we are prideful. When we can trust and obey our Lord Jesus, we will come to experience a deeper peace and rest. It’s difficult to imagine anything when we’re in survival mode spiritually, mentally or physically. Knowing that we are secure allows our imagination to have the room to envision a deeper love for others and God. Not only is our imagination a result of spiritual formation, but it also leads us in our spiritual formation.

Using imagination and the help of the Holy Spirit, we can cast the vision of what a full life in Christ looks like. We can imagine ourselves whole and complete in Christ, and with that vision before us, move in step with the Spirit in holiness. Imagination is a gift from a creative God. To see things not as they are, but as they can be through His grace and power. Imagination is a gift of home — a visioning of the promises fulfilled and a belief in what He can achieve. To have the faith of a child is to have humility, trust and obedience, but maybe it is also to have imagination. As Olivia could look at the sky and see cloud blankets, may we look at life with the imagination to see it through God’s eyes.

Engage

• How might having the imagination of a child give you new perspective on your spirituality?
• When you imagine your ideal relationship with Jesus Christ, what does it look like?
• Imagine if Jesus were present with you throughout your day. How does this affect how you act? How you feel? How you think?

Supporting Scripture

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” –  Colossians 3:2

This article was originally titled “Cloud Blankets And Holy Imagination” in the September 2025 issue of The War Cry.