It seems there is inspiration to be found in any number of places. Sometimes unexpected ones!
Yesterday I was reading in a trade magazine I subscribe to. The Editor's column was about "times when we are forced to 'reconcile the books' and start over." One obvious time being the New Year with all it's hopeful and optimistic resolutions. But then she carried it over to an artist she knows who lost all of their current art creations, supplies and business as their studio washed down a river during Hurricane Irene. It follows with the inspiring story of how she started over. Even how this incident "allowed" her to experiment with a new avenue of art she had been wanting to explore.
As an artist, I could not imagine losing all the things I've done and all my carefully gathered supplies in one fateful day.
And it challenged me to think long and hard.....
Not long into this enlightening soul search, I was thinking. Thinking about how so often, when life throws me a curve, I get behind on projects and art work deadlines (self-imposed ones mostly). Just recently, I was feeling burdened by falling behind in an online group where one of my goals (set no doubt during a time of great energy and optimism) is to do something new every week. I'm now about 5 weeks behind. So I had already decided to just start over where I am today and let those 5 weeks go...off into the wind...and taking the guilt and "failure" along with them.
Then that still small Voice reminded me.....
The same is true in our spiritual adventure. We don't have to be burdened with past failures, missed opportunities, errors in judgement, etc. He has given us a great promise....His own reminder to "reconcile the books and start over".
So I start each day with a blank canvas....what will Abba and I paint on it today? What new adventure shall we explore? I can hardly wait!
Yesterday I was reading in a trade magazine I subscribe to. The Editor's column was about "times when we are forced to 'reconcile the books' and start over." One obvious time being the New Year with all it's hopeful and optimistic resolutions. But then she carried it over to an artist she knows who lost all of their current art creations, supplies and business as their studio washed down a river during Hurricane Irene. It follows with the inspiring story of how she started over. Even how this incident "allowed" her to experiment with a new avenue of art she had been wanting to explore.
As an artist, I could not imagine losing all the things I've done and all my carefully gathered supplies in one fateful day.
And it challenged me to think long and hard.....
Not long into this enlightening soul search, I was thinking. Thinking about how so often, when life throws me a curve, I get behind on projects and art work deadlines (self-imposed ones mostly). Just recently, I was feeling burdened by falling behind in an online group where one of my goals (set no doubt during a time of great energy and optimism) is to do something new every week. I'm now about 5 weeks behind. So I had already decided to just start over where I am today and let those 5 weeks go...off into the wind...and taking the guilt and "failure" along with them.
Then that still small Voice reminded me.....
The same is true in our spiritual adventure. We don't have to be burdened with past failures, missed opportunities, errors in judgement, etc. He has given us a great promise....His own reminder to "reconcile the books and start over".
Lamentations 3:22-24
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
