Imaginary Friend

René Descarte is known for saying, “I think. Therefore, I am.” What we think defines the reality of our environment. We believe what we see with our minds. But is that real or a product of our imagination?
We were born with vivid imaginations.
That’s true for everybody. It’s part of our God-given skill to make sense of our strange new world. It’s also our means to create fantasies that make life seem better or worse than it really is.
When I was two, I learned to drive.
Daddy built a sandbox next to our gravel driveway so I could play with my cars and trucks. These weren’t dune buggies for the beach, so the sand left the box to build a winding road down the driveway. The tight turns required careful steering. A choking sound meant the dump truck was slow to start, but with a steady varoom, varoom, I drove each load of sand to build more road for all the heavy traffic that would follow.
I was never alone.
I made strange sounds. I talked to myself and my imaginary friend. When people walked by, I quickly shut up, lest anyone think I was weird. I liked talking to my friend, who was with me wherever I went. Always eager to hear what I had to say. Always understanding how I felt.
My best friend is as close as I can imagine.
God isn’t a childish fantasy. He is more real than anyone we can see with our eyes. Some religious people may only follow a liturgical form and imagine what God might be like. But those who want to know him need only open their spiritual eyes to see him as he is.
I talk to God all the time, because he knows my thoughts and sees everything I do (Psalm 139:2). He’s more than an imaginary friend.
Be strong and courageous. You don’t have to fear anything or anyone if your Lord God is with you. You never have to be alone, because he will never abandon you. Just don’t you ever forsake him. — Deuteronomy 31:6