When We Listen To Imaginary Friends

stuffed elephantI see trailers for a new TV show called IMAGINARY MARY.

Apparently a thirty-something woman’s “imaginary friend” reappears as this cute little animated stuffed animal which only she can see and hear and, well…you and I likely won’t be watching, right? Who’s silly enough to believe in, much less listen to, an imaginary friend?

Until we lie awake, 2:54 am, with the conversation racing around in our brains, more intense, more extreme, each time we replay it. Thoughts threaten more harm than any childhood monster in the closet.

Or we hold the dream at arms length. “Impossible!” we tell ourselves, and thoughts build a wall higher and stronger than any constructed of bricks and mortar.

Who would listen to an imaginary voice? Perhaps you and I, when we think we’re victims in someone else’s story, when we think we have to react rather than respond. When we forget Jesus said we’re free from all that, free to love and forgive and write our own story.

My feelings come and go, up and down, good days and bad, and my thoughts are a product of my feelings. So I’ve learned my thoughts can’t always be trusted.

Some of my thoughts are like imaginary bad friends.

Just because I think it, doesn’t make it true.

The FREEDOM TOUR is a bunch of people who, in one way or another, decided to stop listening to some of those imaginary bad friends. It’s too hard. Too expensive. Takes too much time. You don’t have the right bike.You’re too old…or too young, too big, too small.

I write about the tour and about cycling, and I would love to have you join us. I hope you’ll click the link and find a way to ride, volunteer, or donate. www.frontrangefreedomtour.org/

I hope you’ll join us mostly because we have a lot of fun and it would be great to see you.

But this is bigger than bike riding. My hope is that my cycling metaphor helps you a bit with whatever journey you’re on.

We’re in this journey of hope together, trying to step out in faith and follow and listen to Jesus. Unlike those imaginary bad friends, we can trust His words. He speaks truth, because He is truth.

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