Sunday Afternoon Tea

Every person is an artist.

The whole of life is a creative act.  

The warp and woof of each life is equivalent

to the artist's paint or the musician's sounds.

Ranald Macaulay and Jerram Barrs
in Being Human

I've been reading about art, and creativity, and God, and living the Christian life, and walking the walk, and enjoying the journey... in between doing dishes, and laundry, and housework, and a lot of getting property ready for winter.

The quote under the picture above is from a chapter in Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring by Andi Ashworth.  I've read it through a couple times and was perusing chapters when I came across the quote again.

It struck me in a couple different ways... for one thing I love the idea of our life being a creative act we "paint" for God. 

I've long thought of each house as being a canvas for a home making artist and I enjoy listening to the music of nature as I walk through woods.  But thinking of my life as a work of art brought about some significant pondering.

Then... the words reminded me of another writer... one whose works touched millions with her humble faith in spite of having suffered atrocities in a Nazi concentration camp.   When Corrie Ten Boom talked to audiences around the world, she often carried with her a tapestry. 

She would show the bottom of the tapestry with all its' tangled mess and remind those who listened that this side of the tapestry of our life is what we see.  Then as she would turn it over to show the top of the needlework, she reminded us this is the way God sees our life, a beautiful work of art when completed. 

I so often find the timing of my reading to be God inspired for this past month was extremely tight financially with gasoline put in the van a few dollars at a time and often going without even the most common items.  

He allows such bumps along the road for it causes us to remember He is the Source of all provision.

What does this have to do with a lifetime as art presented to Him?  He reminded me again that the one thing we all have the ability to give him is our attitude. 

I could envision our praise in times of trouble becoming golden threads woven amongst the darker colors... the "warp and woof" of our life bringing forth a thing of beauty as His people offer thanks and praise in spite of their circumstances and before seeing answer to prayer.

I once read a work of fiction in which the angels could not comprehend the ability of those whom He created in His likeness to praise Him in the dark paths along the journey.  It was something unique to Adam's race in the book and I am certain in reality.

Can you imagine a world in which angels stand in amazement because you chose to praise Him in the storm?  

I want my life to be a work of art that the Son can present to the Father in "that Day".  He does not require great things along the path, no... He only asks us to trust and obey and have faith and read His word and chat with Him along the way.

For it is not the lack of hard times that paints the beautiful tapestry of our life He will present before the Father.  It is the threads of gold and silver and ruby and garnet and emerald and diamond and all the colors of the rainbow... those are the threads we create when we chose to trust instead of fear and praise instead of complain.

What does your tapestry look like so far?  Does it... like mine... need a little more glitter here and there or does it reflect a life of  praise?  Hmmm... much to ponder.