The Artist

As I look around at the various things my kids have left lying around, my eyes are drawn to the art box and sketch pad that belong to my daughter. Yes, she had asked for a keyboard for Christmas, for music is one of her passions. However, she also asked for art supplies; colors, pastels, charcoals, pencils...you name it, she wanted it. If you haven't already figured it out, art is another passion of hers. She loves to draw. Her sketch pad goes almost everywhere with her. She reminds me of someone I once knew...


I've always loved art and beautiful things. Arts and crafts at school was always my favorite time. Loved to color, paint, glue...you name it. My dad is a wonderful artist, so I guess I have a little of his creative gene running through my veins. In other words I can draw a little, come up with all kinds of cutesy crafts and bulletin boards, decorate a room with ease and scrapbook a whole album of memories in just a few days with the help of my sister...


When I was in high school, I joined the art club in 9th grade and hid there. When all my friends were in Drama and choir, I made the sets and set up the stage behind the scenes. I loved it. In fact I told everyone that I was going to be an art major and go into some kind of design one day...


Hmm...hello college. Hello reality. I might have a little creativeness in my pinkie finger, but my first year of college was hard, with students that had a whole hand of artistic talent. One girl in my classes could sit and draw your portrait on the spot, beautiful pieces of art. It was a humbling experience for me. I soon realized I was in over my head and changed majors. Truth is, if I had had a little more guidance, I might have stuck with it and became an elementary art teacher or something of that sort, for not everyone is called to be a portrait painter, but that is all water under the bridge.


Where am I going with all of this? As I turn the pages of the sketch book before me, I realize something very special. It may have started with stick people and crayons, and led to manga art and cartoons, but I think my little girl has been given a gift. The gift of expressing herself with a pencil and paper. Who knows what she will do with it. She may doodle her little cartoonish subjects forever, or she may go on to do great things with her craft. Who knows what God has in store for her. I just know it makes her mommy giddy every time I see a new drawing.


I have to stop and ask if that is how God feels with me. It gives me the warm fuzzes to think that God might get giddy over something beautiful I might do! It also puts this parenting thing in a whole new light. I might not have gone on to be a famous designer or had a masterpiece placed in a museum, but I am humbled to think that I was used to create two of Gods most beautiful masterpieces yet...we call them "Kayla" and "Jordan." I'm sorry, but that beats a degree in art any day!


The other day I was reading a book by Joyce Meyers. In it was a very small little quote that grabbed me. "God will never help you be anyone but YOU." Wow! I think so many times we "wish" we were someone else, somewhere else, looking like something else. The truth is that each one of us was created by the master artist himself, for a beautiful purpose. Only He didn't just draw us in a sketch pad. He put us straight on canvas, to be hung for the world to see. Somehow, when I see it from the "artist's perspective," I do feel giddy.


So, as everyone has already probably broken at least one of their New Year's resolutions, I am just going to simply try harder to meet God where I am...at me. Yes, there are some things I need to change, spiritually, mentally, physically, but there are also so many special things about me too, that often get overlooked by the feelings of inadequacy, failure and just plain wishing I was someone else, living someone elses life at moments. (Just being real. Like I still think it is unfair that Heidi Klum looks like she does after how many children???) When I look back at the many choices I have made through life, there are many things I would do different, just because I did let fear stand in my way. So, if I have to make a resolution of any kind, I am going to say that I am going to try harder to be happy with just being me. Well, let me rephrase that...I want to be better at being the "me" that God planned me to be.


Normally I would end on that little note, but since I am one proud mommy, I will show you a few of the many drawings that happen to be in THIS book. (She has several of them laying around.)