Talents and times of turmoil
Posted by: dana on: March 17, 2009
- In: News| Religion| faith| free will
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Times are tough right now, and with layoffs and salary cuts abounding, it’s easy to let fear consume us.
But it doesn’t have to be. Of course it’s scary not being sure if you can provide for your family. And I’m not going to give a “trust in God and everything will be OK” pep talk.
But honestly fear of losing my job has really got me thinking. What if I did? Would a new door open up to me that I may never have considered before? Is there a talent I am neglecting because I am so darn comfortable doing what I am doing? Could that talent serve God better than my current work?
Without fear, I might never consider those options and see the potential that can exist in these hard times.
It’s a thought I’m still exploring.
Addendum: Oh how fitting. I JUST found out we’re all getting 10 percent pay cuts. And more layoffs are to come. I guess I’ll need to explore this thought a little deeper now.
Going to church alone
Posted by: dana on: March 12, 2009
- In: Bible| Religion| faith
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It’s been quiet here on Painting Faith for a while. I’ve discovered since I lost my favorite morning radio program how much I need that daily dose of God’s Word. Or at least weekly.
Right now I’m not getting much at all. Sure I get into conversations about God with other friends who have similar beliefs to mine. And those are exciting and great, especially the ones with my husband.
But I need fed with a little more frequency.
I could, oh I don’t know, read my Bible. When did that become and exhausting chore? Probably around the time I decided I was going to read the whole thing cover to cover in order. With that dumb checklist in front of me, reading the Bible quickly became homework instead of Worship. Sheesh, if you follow that link, I even CALL it a “task” in the first sentence. Ugh.
There was a time in my life where, no matter how busy, I read my Bible an hour a day. It was a priority, and I found not only did I get everything done in time, I often got it done with more ease and efficiency. Being able to refocus and recenter myself was always a great thing. But once I got out of the groove, it’s been hard to get back in it.
And then of course, there’s church. I haven’t attended church with any frequency since before I got married two and a half years ago. My husband, while probably more in tune with God than I am, is not really interested in attending.
That’s certainly no excuse for me not to attend — he was very encouraging of me doing whatever I needed to do. But it certainly is my No. 1. hesitation in getting invested somewhere. I cringe when I think about going without him. I want to learn about God with him … not a room full of strangers. Even though before we were together, I went alone all the time. Does that make sense?
And I’d like to build bonds with other people in the church. But if those bonds are going to be centered around the most profound thing one can base a relationship on — God — I certianly want my husband to be a part of that.
And if I told him I really really really really wanted him to go with me, he would. And I may play that card eventually. But I don’t want to force his hand, so that will be a last resort.
Plus, some of you may know what I’m talking about, church-goers are some of the nosiest people I have ever met. People who use prayer as a form of gossip, God’s will as a reason to meddle in business that isn’t there’s. I’ve had some BAD experiences in this area, and get the willies just thinking of those people and the “of course I’m not being judgmental” judgmental faces they would make if I were to share this dilemma with them.
Is this unfair of me to pre-judge people at my potential future church before I even attend? You bet. Should I just suck it up and go to church because that’s what I need and trust that as long as I’m following God I shouldn’t fear what will happen next? Absolutely.
Will I? Dunno.
I could use your thoughts and maybe some encouragement.
How is it between us?
Posted by: dana on: July 28, 2008
- In: Religion| faith
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Artist: Sara Groves
Song: How it is between us
Album: Conversations
Woke up on the wrong side of the bed,
the wrong side of the room,
the wrong side of the world.
Can’t put my finger on the mood.
It’s not melancholy, anger or the blues.
I love my husband, my house, my job.
Couldn’t be any better,
and really what else is there?
Then I realize I’m forgetting God,
and that’s the root of all my misery.
Lord, first of all, how is it between you and me?
. Chorus: How is it between us?
How is it between us?
When did I talk to you last,
and what has happened since?
How is it between us? How is it between us?
When did I talk to you last, and what has happened?
. When I wake up I am on my way,
reinventing the wheel and saving the day.
I have learned this lesson a thousand times,
I am the branch, and you are the vine.
Apart from you we are mice and men,
with our fancy dreams of grandeur and no way to get there.
Oh I can think about you now and then,
or I can make a mark on eternity.
Lord first of all, how is it, between you and me?
. Chorus .
So let the wicked prosper, let the oceans roar,
let the mountains crumble, and fall into the sea.
There’s something more important weighing on my mind.
Lord first of all, how is it between you and me?
Art and the artist
Posted by: dana on: July 14, 2008
- In: Religion| free will
- 4 Comments
Artistic talents to me are one of the most sure signs that there is a God. When I start to dabble in the idea that maybe it is all really just science and coincidence, I think about the ability to create music and paintings and poetry and novels and movies.
And I wonder – if we are here merely because evolution has deemed us a worthy species to continue inhabiting this planet, what is the purpose of these abilities? Other species will sing or dance to attract a mate. And no doubt the human species does this too (there has to be some explanation for my attraction to rock stars).
But then why do we sing when we’re alone in our car. And children begin to dance within the first three seconds of a familiar Doodle-Bops song. We create pottery. And beautiful architecture. We take pleasure in decorating our homes in ways that are pleasing and comfortable to us. We craft meals designed not to nourish us but to excite our taste buds.
What use are these skills in the grand goal of species survival?
The only satisfactory answer I have found is that we really are the reflection of a Creator, the ultimate Artist. And one of the greatest gifts we have been given is the ability, on a much smaller scale, to create as He creates. Just as He painted the sky, we paint canvas. As He builds the mountains, we build skyscrapers. As winds whistle and waves crash, so do our flutes and cymbals.
So find what it is you can do that doesn’t make any sense. A talent that isn’t simply a trade necessary to survive. It could be as complicated as composing a sonata or as simple as painting your nails. Hunt for and polish beautiful stones, bake a cake, pound on drums, build a birdhouse, sing in the shower — whether beautifully or horribly.
Just create something that makes you satisfied in a way that God must be satisfied when He looks at the rainforest or the dessert or the stars … or us.
Penalty
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