I smelled rubber as the sedan screeched to a halt. With legs spread, palms stretched wide, and arms waving, my three-year-old son, Matthew, stood in front of the car with an expression of delight. How had he slipped his hand out of mine? I scooped my son into my arm, tightened my grip on my daughter's hand, and approached the driver's side of the car. I apologized profusely.

Once inside the grocery store, I set my son in the cart seat and lifted my daughter into the basket.

"Son, what were you thinking?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I'm Superman! I stop car!" Matthew said. He flexed his muscles to demonstrate his power.

"Mom," my daughter said, "That was neat."

"Not exactly," I said, knowing that I'd ask my husband to discuss street safety with the children later that evening. I'll put the superhero videos away for a while, I thought, but I knew that that would be futile.

To my three- and four-year-old children, superheroes were as real as Charlotte the spider who lived on the back porch, and I was not permitted to sweep her web away in case she wanted to write a message. The Easter Bunny lived in the neighbourhood — my children had seen him. Sure enough, Gilligan was going to teach my children boating skills — as soon as he got off the island. And Mr. Rogers certainly would bring Lady Elaine and Daniel for a visit soon.

Superheroes empower children. With their imagination activated, they can envision the world as a safe place to grow, learn, and play. Once we become adults, we lose that safety net of knowing that there is a superpower greater than ourselves … or do we? With faith activated, we can know the One who is more majestic than any imaginary superhero, and whose name is mightier than any name that is named.

Are you looking for a Superhero? Look no farther than Jesus Christ. He is the One who carries our fears — so that we don't have to. He is the One who activates our dreams — even those that we gave up on ever achieving. Jesus Christ is the One who restores broken lives — He heals the body that aches and the doctors haven't been able to find the ailment or the cure. Jesus reinstates the marriage that is shredding apart day-by-day, as we grasp for dying love. Jesus provides bread on our table when the mortgage is due and the dollars are few.

Paul pens a picture of our Superhero:

1 Timothy 1:15b – Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (KJV)

Even though Paul committed great sins, he knew that Jesus Christ saved and transformed him. I like that, because it lets us know that we qualify, regardless of the ways that we've messed up. With Christ's superpowers as the only begotten Son of God, He chose to live, die, and be raised to life to pardon us. Jesus has a beautiful future for us. This is why Paul pens this praise:

1 Timothy 1:17 – Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)

How can we thank our Superhero, Jesus Christ, as eloquently as Paul did? Even though we are adults, God has placed within us the indelible gift of imagination. As we pray, we can envision with childlike faith just how majestic our Superhero truly is. And He is real!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to envision our real-life Superhero, Jesus Christ, in all of His majesty and splendour. Amen.

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About the author:

Diane Virginia Cunio <diane@vinewords.net>
Germanton, North Carolina, USA
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