A Great Gift

But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea

between the shores of your souls. - Khalil Gibran 

   

This week I have been given a great gift...time alone by the sea.  I can only imagine what it must be like to live near the ocean where the horizon is so wide open and the land is a constantly changing canvas, washed clean and reshaped again and again by the pounding of the surf.  For a few days I will wander, rest, reflect and dream on my own.  In the evenings I will come together with the man I love and do more of the same.  I find that we are beginning to settle into this rhythm in our everyday lives as well, as our kids are growing up and away from us.  Like so many other transitions I have experienced, this time is bittersweet...a mixture of sadness and excitement, adventure and grief.

A Story of Grace

My guess is that not a lot of people would be excited if someone dropped this off at their front door.

I actually was thrilled when a recent acquaintance asked me to see what I could do with the vintage cigar boxes she found among her father's things.  As many of us are at the beginning of a new year, she was ready to let some things go and thought these could be cleaned up and used for collage.  Visually they are so very interesting.  Beautiful, mellowed colors and bold and varied typefaces lend plenty of character and texture...a great jumping off point for a mixed media piece.

I got to know the owner of these boxes a bit the day she dropped them off and a story she told me inspired the theme of my first design.  She spoke of her mother, who relocated to a new living situation after a fall and an injury.  During the transition her mother asked to visit her former home just one more time before everything was moved out.  On the day of her visit, she walked through the space, touching a few items, remembering and honoring the time spent there, probably reliving her most precious memories.  After a short time she turned to one of her daughters and said, "I'm ready to go."  She then stepped into her new life and now thrives in her new environment, making new friends, finding joy in her new situation.  What an amazing story of grace this is.

Letting go and moving forward is such a challenge when what we had before was wonderful or, at the very least, familiar and comfortable.  So often, though, we do not have a choice.  We don't always get to choose when or how our circumstances change.  Sometimes change chooses us.

This is one of the hardest things I've had to come to terms with in my walk of faith.  It took a major health crisis in the life of a close family member to teach me that I am not in control.  Somehow before my baby sister's lengthy hospital stay years ago I believed I could make anything happen if I worked hard enough or prayed hard enough.  I learned at her bedside that this is not true.  Her life (indeed all of our lives) were changed forever and only by grace have we released the old and found joy amidst the challenges of the new.

Again and again I have learned that faith doesn't give us the ablilty to control the world.  It gives us the ability thrive when our world is out of control.

Transformations

A few weeks ago I developed a new semi-obsessive interest in silver plated spoons.  (Did you see my last post?)  Since then I've scoured second-hand shops and rummage sales for vintage utensils, the older the better.  I've got some ideas for Christmas ornaments and jewelry, but for now I am having a lot of fun hammering the spoons flat and embellishing them with stamped words and phrases.

Each piece is absolutely unique and full of character, bearing many marks and imperfections. 

I think a lot about spiritual parallels when I work in my studio.  When altering these spoons I remember that they were uncared for and discarded until I purchased them, seeing the potential each one held.  Despite their layers of tarnish and grime, I believed that each one could be transformed into something new and beautiful in its own right.  Do you see where I'm going with this?

I can't think of a better illustration of the transforming love of Christ.  Even in our lowest moments He sees our potential.  He looks far beyond our imperfections and sees something beautiful.  He values us so greatly that He gave His life as the purchase price. 

That's a big message for a little spoon to carry and it was a huge cross for one man to bear.  I hope today you know how valuable and full of potential you are.  In the capable hands of our Creator, marks left by hurt, shame and regret are not only redeemed, but transformed.  Our scars become an essential part of our character and beauty.

In Due Time

Walking along our trail this afternoon, I thought of the many hours I spent clearing it last February and March. It seemed I was out there almost every day.

It's hard to believe that was a year ago. So many things have changed since then. A year ago I worked alone. Now I have two puppies to keep me company. I prayed a lot back then about my daughter entering college and my son moving into junior high. Now they are both settled in their new schools and doing great. Twelve months ago I was thinking of starting a blog, a website, or maybe an etsy store. All of those dreams are now reality and I’m learning to balance it all. While some issues remain unresolved, many have somehow worked out and, sadly, some things I truly enjoyed are just a memory now.

I want to dwell on this for a while...to allow my ever-changing circumstances to teach me to look beyond the present, to count my blessings, and to keep hope alive when things are hard because everything could be so very different a year, a month, or even a day from now. This life is dynamic and flowing with possibilities, creativity, and joy when we embrace and expect change.

Where were you one year ago? What has changed in your life? Be encouraged, my friend. Embrace the blessings that are yours today and believe that what is heavy on your heart may not disappear tomorrow, but it will most definitely resolve in due time.