Artist of My Soul

     I'm an artist. Not a very good one, but it has been a big part of my life. When I am focused on where the next brush stroke goes, or how to mix red and blue to get that perfect shade of purple, then I'm not thinking about how afraid I am that my daughter has been called back for an ultrasound of her breast.
    Painting is my escape from the world. Yet when I'm depressed I have a hard time painting. I guess that I'm so closed up that the creative juices can't flow. I've been painting quite a bit lately, which is a good sign of my mental state.
    I received a gift, a "God Thing", when we moved into this house. An accomplished artist who lives down the street stopped by to ask if she could take pictures of my sheep so she could paint them. When she found out that I was an artist, she invited me to a painting group of 7 or 8 ladies who meet at her house every other Thursday to paint. That has become such a blessing to me.
    As I'm writing this, I'm looking out my window at the vibrant leaves of red, orange and gold that are gracing the trees in our area this autumn. I'm amazed at the artistry of God. His colors take my breath away.
    We all have a share of God's creativity because He lives in us. Let's unleash it. For you it may be painting, or writing. Maybe it's decorating a house or an office. Maybe it's the creative way you raise your children; maybe it's dressing them. Maybe it's dressing you.
    Whatever it is, let it out. Be guided by the creativity God gave you. Use it to glorify Him.
"Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens," James 1:17. NLT