Last year we had dinner with a missionary family from our church.  We sat across the table from this couple and listened.  I was in awe of what they were doing.  They live and serve in Zimbabwe, often under very dangerous conditions.  The list of all that they deal with and suffer through, was far too much for my mind and heart to handle over a plate of spaghetti.  We left that dinner and I looked at my husband and said “We are losers”.  The same was true this past week.  We had yet another dinner with one of my favorite people walking this planet.  His name is Doug and he is the Executive Director for Tiny Hands International (you see their “One Girl” button over on the right side of my blog).  The work that they do in the name of Christ, is the work most of us wouldn’t dare even think about, much less be a part of.  But he does it, along with an amazing team all over the world.  Again, my husband and I left our time with him and were too humbled to really even speak in the car on the way home.

So what’s a girl to do that thinks painting has something to do with her purpose?  Painting.  I would feel a lot less guilty if the passion in my heart was more clearly servant-like.  I know I’m being cynical, and I certainly do not mean to offend any artists out there that might be reading. My heart tells me that Jesus is all over this painting thing, but then I hang out with people like Doug and I think “who the heck cares about a painting”!  I just can’t help but wonder what God is up to with me.  Why oh why do I feel such passion for painting?  Until I figure this out, in the meantime, I’m going to keep painting because I simply cannot, not paint.

So while we are on the subject of art, are you familiar with Susie Pryor’s work?  She is a genius and her art is like beautiful poetry.  Here are a few my favorites:

I love every single thing she has ever painted, and since I do not have an art teacher, I’m allowing her work to teach me a few things.  I painted a couple of her little girls as practice and to date, they are my favorite paintings I have completed  copied (disclaimer: they are stacked in my art corner and were only painted as practice, for my experimentation, never to be claimed as my own).   A new artist friend of mine told me recently “God has enough creativity to go around for all of us”.  She is so right, but the question is do I have enough faith to trust him?  Maybe.  I’m getting braver and braver.  But for now, here is my practice.  I loved painting these and I learned so much, these are mine:

I have got to start painting my own stuff…have I ever said that before?!?

Amy

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