Art in the Afternoon

I love creativity. I love using it as
a way to express yourself… I have found it to be such an important
outlet for me in my life even starting with the silliest of “craft”
projects. I took Patti Killian’s painting class before I came here
and it changed a lot of things for me. I have always wanted to be
able to paint and draw and use those as a means to express some of
the things that are stirring inside of me… but I was afraid and too
overwhelmed to try it on my own. Both Patti and Karen really came
alongside of me and began to encourage me in this area… and
although I am not really good at either one… I was given the
courage to try and in trying I have fallen in love with it. During
my time at the Gateway I was again encouraged and challenged to keep
doing it.

Since being here in Africa art has been
heavy on my mind. I look around and see it EVERYWHERE! There is
creativity pouring out of the landscape and in the colors that are
worn and in the unique shapes of each tree and hut. As I have been
meeting and really getting to know some of the children here I have
often wondered about what sorts of outlets they have to deal with
many of the situations and emotions that they have been challenged to
face in their young lives. The children here are not encouraged to
say or express at all how they are feeling… they are taught to be
tough. I have wondered what sort of creativity is ready to burst
from them… they have simply seen so many things so many colors and
shapes. I think about all the hope that is inside of them, all the
pain and energy and strength and life and I wonder what it would look
like expressed with paint and with color.

I spent a couple of days at the True
Vine Headquarters this last week. It was a really special time for me
to meet and spend time with many of Seasides dear African friends.
On Friday Tara and myself got to go with two of the nurses to help do
immunizations for the local children (and I was very surprised with
how much they had us doing!) and when we came back we were encouraged
by Rita just to rest. We didn’t want to rest… so we wondered
around for a little bit and I met a little boy named Robert. Robert
lives locally and although he does not go to school there he comes to
get water each day. We talked with him for a little bit and then he
was on his way to bring his water home. Me and Tara ended up with a
basketball just shooting around and we were very happy when some kids
ended up coming and joining us. Then Robert was back. I invited him
to play and he did for a little bit but then lost interest in playing
and just hung around. I asked him if he just wanted to sit with me
and so we sat on the edge of the court and just watched the others
play and we talked. Robert told me about school and how he likes
learning math and English and that he gets very good marks. He is
only eight but he told me with such strength about how both of his
parents have passed away so he lives with his siblings at his
Grandmothers house. That’s when it occurred to me… I asked
Robert if he liked to draw and his face lit up! We went to the house
but even as we were walking there I knew that I had nothing with me…
and I couldn’t help but second guess how I would make this work…but
Robert was so excited. When I got to the room I just saw my backpack
and remembered that I had a couple of pens in the front and I had my
Chronicles of Narnia book with me… so I grabbed the pens and began
to tear out pages from my book.

Me and Robert sat by some flowers with
a view of this cool mountain in the back and drew for at least an
hour. I’m not really sure if I am really “proud” of what I
drew that day but I remembered Patti telling me about drawing and how
it does something really special in making you remember a moment…
not just the moment itself but like what you were really feeling and
thinking about and seeing. I will remember that moment. We had
shared that moment drawing and after I told him about how he is so
creative, a real artist, and I gave him my pen and told him to keep
drawing… then I taught Robert how to take pictures and in all of
this he reminded me of the joy in the simplicity of an afternoon. He
asked me if I would be around the next day… but we were leaving. I
told him how I was coming back in January and that I would look for
him so we can draw together again. I hope that God allows our paths
to cross once more.

My Utmost for His Highest- December 18

“It is only the loyal soul who
believes that God engineers circumstances. We take such liberty with
our circumstances, we do not believe God engineers them, although we
say we do; we treat the things that happen as if they were engineered
by men. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only
one loyalty, and that is to our Lord. Suddenly God breaks up a
particular set of circumstances, and the realization comes that we
have been disloyal to Him by not recognizing that He had ordered
them; we never saw what He as after, and that particular thing will
never be repeated all the days of our life. The test of loyalty
always comes just there. IF we learn to worship God in the trying
circumstances, He will alter them in two seconds when He chooses.”

I believe that was a moment that God
set up… and I believe he has more coming. I don’t want to ever
fool myself into missing out on moments like that… and I don’t
want to ever cheapen what God is doing by thinking that it is
something that I did or that was in my power.