That’s a visual kind of word.

And for all the hopeful stories we hear of people overcoming injuries and prevailing through suffering, it’s also a word that rhymes with “limitation”.

When a fearfully and wonderfully made body is broken in this way, it’s tough to watch because of how great that fall is: Can-do-anything-at-all to can’t-do-much-at-all.

That’s why this phrase jumped out of a book at me on the weekend:

“a paralysis of faith and imagination”

Forget wondering about the context.  Just roll it around with me.

Faith is one of those do-anything kind of words.  It can move mountains, for crying out loud!  And imagination… the sky is the limit.  That’s what makes imagination… imagination!  If it can be conceived, it can be achieved.  Translation: Imagination is the first step in every “impossible” achievement.  That’s a powerful thing!

So what a tragedy it would be to witness “a paralysis of faith and imagination”.

What a loss it would be to trade those treasures for lesser items like ritual or rule, like system or standard, like habit or ho-hum.  That would be… a paralysis.

So let me nudge you today.

• Stretch out.
• Risk something.
• Give with no hope of return.
• Be quiet.
• Turn off the switch on whatever box is doing your imagining for you.
• Think.
• Pray.
• Wonder.
• Live.