“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

God has designed each one of us uniquely and perfectly. Knowing this uniqueness and perfection ahead of time, He also created for us good works which we should take steps toward. 

Erica and I believe this for ourselves and we also believe it for Nicole and Jonah. Since Nicole was born we have made it our goal to learn how God designed her and to help her flourish in her gifting. As we observe her go about life we make note of things we see in her and have been intentional about detecting patterns of how God has designed her. 

As we filter our observations through scripture we have identified some things in her that we are intentional not to “shut down” as we guide and direct her. For example, we believe that she has the gift of discernment. And, judging by how long it takes her to pray her bedtime prayer, we are beginning to wonder if maybe she will be a prayer warrior. Or, maybe just good a stall tactics. 

One thing we have been observing in her more and more is her imagination. I can’t say for sure when it started but lately she has been playing independently with her (my old) cars. They each have a persona and they talk to each other and each of them have a job to do. She orchestrates their world into job sites, parking lots, or fields of harvest. They all seem to have voices, preferences and preferred friends. It is fun to watch her bring them to life on the carpet in the middle of our living room. It makes me wonder what is going on in that little, yet active head of hers.

Today Erica got out a bunch of play dough cutters and molds for her to play with. Nicole and I sat at the table and made things up out of noting. We would look at clumps of dough and she would ask me what it is. (sometimes they don’t look like anything!) I would come up with something that the clump resembled and then call it out. Once I called it, she would bring life to it. She would give it a voice and movement and all of a sudden some play dough would become a whale, a car, a train or whatever. It's really entertain and fun to watch. 

Sometimes when we see the tangible things that Nicole does like her ability to engage people or care for her friends it is easy to know how to encourage more of that. It's a behavior that we can tell her is good and that she should repeat. But, how do you encourage more imagination??

I don’t know the answer to that but I do know what I have tried. Every day I make sure that I get on the floor with Nicole and play. Just play. We make things up and play the games she creates. I go with the story that is unfolding and we just have fun. 

A good friend of ours had a baby about a year ago and I remember calling him and I had two bits of advice for him: 1) smile at his new daughter often and 2) get down on the floor with every day. 

It turns out that something so simple such as getting on the floor can have such a profound impact on developing a child. I’ve done it for so long not really knowing why I do it. But now I see that it can help develop Nicole in ways that can have a profound impact someday. Who knows what her imagination will think up one day. What problems she might solve. What her impact on the world will be. 

I do know this; God uniquely and perfectly designed her. He created good works ahead of time that she should walk in. As a parent I have a role in helping her become who God fully designed her to be so that she can walk in them sooner rather than later. It's a fun challenge…literally. 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10