A Spark of Imagination
Remember the old camp song:
It only takes a spark to get a fire going . . .
Of course, that song was talking about God’s love. But it is true of so many things.
I’ve been in a creative slump lately. Especially last month. Nothing I tried spurred me to create. To even want to create.
But as has so often happened in the past, it only takes a spark to kindle my imagination.
Last week, one of my friends from church gave a talk at a brunch called Sisters Table. It’s a once-a-month gathering where someone shares about a relatively unknown hero of the faith, specifically a woman. My friend Tara is a historian. She holds a master’s degree in history and is working on a certificate of historical theology from Reformed Theological Seminary. She has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels. So I knew whatever she had to say would be right up my alley.
And it was. She held me enthralled with an era of history I don’t know much about—the 5th century. And a place I don’t know much about—Constantinople (now Istanbul). She told us about Pulcheria, a woman who almost singlehandedly kept the church from straying into heresy.
What???
Curiosity sparked my imagination. That spark soon crackled and burned. So much so that I went to my local library and checked out a book on the Byzantine Empire!
Will this book fan those embers of imagination into the flame of a novel? I have no idea. But I’ll feed the fire until it dies out or turns into a raging inferno. Because what I’ve learned over many years is that though the spark is important, it isn’t singular. It can fuel many different fires, one of which might catch.
For now, I’m excited to dive into a new-to-me era and place in history. I love learning new things, no matter where they do or don’t lead. And in the meantime, I will welcome every spark of imagination that ignites my creativity.
Do you dig deeper when something—a novel, a movie, a bit of history—makes you curious? What’s the last thing that sent you on a rabbit trail of discovery?
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Praying for God to absolutely flood you with his creativity, D’Ann, and yes to Pulcheria! If you haven’t done the Jesus and Women Bible study/video series by Kristi McLelland, please treat yourself. It’s all about Jesus and women in the Bible (of course) but also throughout church history. So eye opening, inspiring, and empowering.
I’ve got links for this and several of her studies here: https://tameraalexander.com/bonus-features/growing-in-the-knowledge-of-god
I do need to do that one! Thanks, Tammy!
Oooh, I do hope this sparks a new book based in that era! I would love to read it.
I chase rabbit trails all the time. Recently I’ve been doing a study on the names of God and that has led me on many a merry chase!
We’ll see!
I love it when studying the Bible leads to more study of the Bible because you just want to know and understand. That’s the best kind of curiosity!
So glad that spark got a fire going, D’Ann! I never watch a movie—especially one based on true events—without my laptop at hand so I can fact-check the details and events portrayed. And I’m always happy to learn that a film stuck close to the facts.
I’m right there with you, Deb! I have to know the real story–and more facts about the real story!
Thanks for the reminder: It only takes a spark!
I believe this song goes back to the 1960’s & a Billy Graham movie, The Cross and the Switchblade.
In my research of rural schools & their teachers–from a hundred years back, I came across the story of the Clevelend School Fire, near Camden, SC. The year was 1923, and it was the last day of school. All the students, dressed in their Sunday best, ready to be promoted or to graduate, as well as their parents & other family members, were crowded into an upstairs auditorium of the wooden schoolhouse. Electricity had not traveled to that community. The only light was by kerosene lamps.
During the play one lamp fell onto hay bales that were used for decorations. There was an immediate swoosh of fire & a stampede to the only exit. People were trapped, crushed against each other in the stairwell. Others were thrown out a window. Others slid down the inverted flagpole. Of the hundreds who had gathered for the end-of-the-year celebration, 77 people lost their lives, including 41 children. They were buried in a mass grave at a nearby church. The first name of the memorial plaques listed as Grace A, age 7.
The entire story caught my attention, and I dug into the story to see what else I could discover. In particular, I wanted to know what happened to the 3 teachers. But what really sparked my muse was the child who was listed first, especially when I discovered she was a foster child.
I hope your spark of imagination continues to develop & grow.
Wow! What a find that has been “lost” to history! Horrifying event, but my imagination always goes to those who survived and how they dealt with the aftermath! I love it when historical research yields something so rich for the creative juices!