Made to reflect His creativity
My fear of risk and failure has met the grace and sweet mercy of Christ in a head-on collision. This series I've been in for 22 days has been a poignant journey in quieting certain voices, and letting others loose. It has been an unexpected blessing in perpetuating a new habit that I was created for... I might be tempted to think that the ritual of expressing myself artistically on a daily basis is about the art, but it's not. It's not about me, as the creator, but as the created-- made to reflect His creativity.It's about the liturgy of using these eyes and hands to convey something bigger than me.
Do you feel so small sometimes? I do. All the time.
And despite all that's said about self-esteem and believing in oneself, I know that there is no larger view of life than seeing myself under the shelter of the Almighty.
24 Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung.
25 All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain,
28 which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea. (Job 36:24-30)
And instead of fighting the feeling by making much of me, I am delighting in the freedom of making much of him. And how gracious is he to include us in that chorus of praise, through paint, through chalk, through words, through expression...
I take my brush to a palette of watercolors, and they, dry and brittle, go nowhere across my page without the conduit of water, without being changed entirely. The moment water meets the colors, the possibilities are endless. He delivers what little I possess, and dances across my life in vivid array beyond anything I would be left up to myself. He is the water to my color.
I've been working on a facelift and relaunch of this site for some time now. I hope to bring it to you sometime in November, along with a shop for my artwork, Lord willing . Feeling the significance of watercolors...and of dogwoods, which I will share perhaps tomorrow...
Join me everyday this month for the Drawing Close series.
Day 1: Drawing Close Intro Day 2: A Portrait Day 3: Parts of A Whole Day 4: Be Strong and Courageous Day 5: A World Where There Are Octobers {My Birthday} Day 6: Keep Moving Forward Day 7: Bearing Fruit Day 8: Capturing Life In Motion Day 9: Real (Uncomfortable) Hospitality Day 10: In Process, In Progress Day 11: Beginnings Day 12: Underpinnings Day 13: Rest In Him Day 14: The Mercy of Layers Day 15: Tulips For Morocco Day 16: On His Side Day 17: Dear Soul Day 18: Flowery Beds Of Ease Day 19: Dogwoods Sketch Day 20: Weekend Watercoloring Day 21: Because Love Abounds And We Abide Day 22: The Water To My Color Day 23: Day 24: Day 25: Day 26: Day 27: Day 28: Day 29: Day 30: Day 31: