“Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.”
— Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart)
Can We Keep On Keeping On?
I thought the virus was almost over, but what if we are not quite done yet? What if the challenge is just taking on a different look? Can we keep on? We now have the freedom to go out, but there seems to be conflicting ideas regarding the restrictions. The arguments for/against wearing masks fill Facebook posts. Not only that, we are not finished with the racial issue as it properly, daily stretches our comfortability. Can we keep on keeping on?
BREATHE!
I am too weary to Keep on Keeping On. 🙁
Some of you may feel, “Come on, let’s go to something different because am tired of the same conversation over and over”, yet everything around us affects us. I can’t say “Just because I am tired of such and such”, I want to be done with it. Whether you realize it or not input affects what you create, and how you create. If you say “NO” to surrounding circumstances, that is a choice which affects your input. However, the information to which you give permission and say “YES” will also come into your soul and affect the art that comes out. It all affects the life you live as well.
The enemy of our soul is not a bystander in this, either. He seeks control of creative flow. When creativity happens during times of trouble, he wants to be a boulder in the stream causing the flow to move against, not toward, worship of God.
- Insecurity
- Angst
- Anxiety of an unknown
- Shame
- Injustice
These feelings may flow into a creative output, but what is the message? Pain-filled art does not always look pretty, but can be rich when it comes out as a result of saying “Yes” to God, expressing His Heart.
What Can I Do?
Over and over, questions may arise–What can I do? It is good to keep an open mind to this question because the response will be different for each of us. As a Type 4 wing 5 in the Enneagram, I know I can bring to this table encouragement, research, the arts, and personal reflection. But we need to ask God where He wants to lead each of us as His Poiema, so we can express Him through our creativity and lives.
The conference I attended a couple of weeks ago dealt with PERSPECTIVE. Breath and the Clay Conference Theme. You can still attend the conference online (although there is a cost). Open doors and give your creativity wings to worship looking through God’s Lens. How can we keep on keeping on in the midst of racial tension and the pandemic changes if we are not open to seeking God’s input for the long haul? If not the result will be:
NO😩😟😞 CHANGE.
Sadly, we are not almost finished.
But we can keep on keeping on.
As a community of creatives, we are not alone. Actually, I am excited to see what God has in store for us. Our lives are creative works of art, whether we express through a paintbrush, type on a keyboard, or bake a souffle. It is a process, and not necessarily an easy one, when we try to make something happen. God is dropping seeds of hope within us and without. Give yourself permission to spend time with God through Contemplation, Lectio Devina, and Visio Devina to help in the task of keeping on keeping on.
.
Yes, we can keep on keeping on.
What are you looking for during these challenging times?
Feel free to share your challenging path. Consider how, as creatives, God gives us an opportunity to touch hurting souls with our gifts. The transformation you experienced may be the breath of fresh air needed by another person. How is God using you to help others:
Keep on Keeping On?
