Many of you have heard me talk about our experience at LEAD last year. One of the ‘tools’ you are given is a unique “old man” name and “new man” name. In other words, when you are living in your own strength apart from His work in you, your flesh has a particular stamp that looks like “_____.” And, when you are living in dependence upon Him and His life in you, your unique imprint looks like “_____.” It becomes a hallmark of warning to watch out for your selfish pursuits and a visionary calling towards becoming all He has made you to be.
One of the adjectives in my new name is CREATIVE. During our time at LEAD, I agreed with this adjective, but I certainly didn’t feel like it was manifesting itself, or even that I had seen it coming out, in a long while. 3 babies in less than 3 years? 3 countries in less than 3 years? Stress of overseas life? Sickness? When I put it like that, it feels like, well, duh.
This last week I have been encouraged to see creative stirrings arising in me that have not so much been conscious choices as they have been my after-the-fact observations about something that has bubbled out unaware.
1. During last week in homeschool, we made a color wheel. I remembered doing this project in elementary school, and upon second thought, I realized this is the
only art project I remember doing in elementary school. I remember what the elderly man who taught us looked like, the path from our class to the art room, and exactly how he taught us to complete it. As I recalled these details I wondered, why do I remember this particular project with such detail? As we mixed paint and color, I was almost giddy with enjoyment. It wasn’t about painting a masterpiece, it was simple fascination with color. A lovely spring limey green; a deep wine purple; a fireburst of sunshine orange. Ecstatic over color.
2. Another ‘incident’ happened on the way to a friends’ house. The spring blossoms are EVERYWHERE. I don’t remember them being so prolific in other springs here. As I walked along the bush-lined paths with a warm wind wafting sweet smells, I was overtaken with joy. Though I tell my own children not to pick the flowers unless they have already fallen to the ground, I began spontaneously gathering a bouquet to take to my friend. (Why did He make them to smell so fabulous? He didn’t have to do that, you know, and we never would have known what we were missing!) Like a school girl skipping along picking wild flowers to give to her mother, I gathered another bouquet on the way home for myself.
3. On Saturday night, I was feeling stressed. Jim told me he would put the girls to bed, and I sat down to play the piano. Jim bought this piano as a Christmas gift in Dec. 2006, and it has gotten precious little play. I enjoy the piano, but I’m not very good at it, and so it often feels like too much work to be enjoyable. But this time when I sat down, instead of playing one of the half-dozen songs I still have memorized from high school, I started to learn a new song I’ve always loved. The softly rippling harmony in the chords echoed out from my very own soul.
Even the language in this post feels a little silly and exposed. But He is a creative God of expressive color, spring blossoms, & harmonic melodies. The creative expressions we find within are a stamp of His own nature within us, and as they bubble out, it is about showcasing His own beautiful works.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship (His “poemia”; His creative expression!) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Psalms 92:4-5 For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done; I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O LORD!
