It’s a strange thing to be told two months before your due date that you and your soon-to-be-born child would likely not survive if you go into labor. But for me, it’s the beginning of a story of God’s tenderness and power.

I’ve been anticipating this particular birthday since I was 6 years old. It’s not quite what 6-year-old me expected.

I think the closest thing to a full-blown Wild West shootout we have today are the volley of shots fired from Christian parenting-focused social media accounts. What is going on under the surface, and where do we need God’s healing and a better story?

Imagination is not a triviality of childhood, afforded by immaturity and lives sheltered from the harsh realities of this world. On the contrary, imagination is essential to our life in Christ, giving us the eyes to see the things in this universe that are the Most Real, True, Good, and Beautiful.