My fingernails are shot. They are pitifully short, peeling and stained. It only takes one glance down at my hands to make me remember what work they have been doing. In the last three months they have cleaned, painted, stained, sanded, sealed, picked up and carried. It only takes one glance to make me realize how easily your brain and therefore how you carry about your life can be overcome with one thing.
Our mission team is hosting a craft market and I get to be a vendor. As silly as it may sound to some, this is very close to a dream coming true. In my mind I have always wanted to create for not just myself but for others as well. I love crafting. I love making the mundane beautiful. I love seeing something different in an item and figuring out how to make it useful. When the bible says that all things reveal the character of God I firmly believe the things we create, no matter in what way, show us Him. I believe it so much so that I wrote about the craftiness of God.
In the past year and a half God has revealed many things to me about myself. Things that give me comfort and smiles and things that hit me hard and reduced me to tears, but all things that were welcomed (eventually) and needed. I feel like I am finally beginning to know myself well, so well that I even anticipated the happening of being too wrapped up into things and asked several people to pray for me about it and keep me accountable. I can very much see how gracious God has been in answering their prayers because I have felt quite free of stress overall and more excited than obsessed. Big Success!
If you talk to Zach he might have viewed things different but at least he without a doubt can agree that I could, and in the past have been, much worse. Of course no matter how hard you try it is impossible keep your life free of idols and distractions. Even ones as cute as chalkboards and welcome signs. But I am truly thankful that God is faithful in all things, in HUGE earth shattering difficulties of the past and small, fun, inconsequential, to some, things of the present.
The sale is this weekend and I am so ready. I'm ready to share my heart for creating with others. I'm ready to see the art others have created to the glory of God. I'm ready to see if anyone wants my stuff. I'm ready to, hopefully, earn a lot towards my trip to see the people of Romania again this summer. And I'm ready for it to be finished so that I can get back to my life where my evenings and afternoons are completely devoted to my family and the building of our home together and writing about the day to day of our lives instead of the destruction of my fingernails.
Our mission team is hosting a craft market and I get to be a vendor. As silly as it may sound to some, this is very close to a dream coming true. In my mind I have always wanted to create for not just myself but for others as well. I love crafting. I love making the mundane beautiful. I love seeing something different in an item and figuring out how to make it useful. When the bible says that all things reveal the character of God I firmly believe the things we create, no matter in what way, show us Him. I believe it so much so that I wrote about the craftiness of God.
In the past year and a half God has revealed many things to me about myself. Things that give me comfort and smiles and things that hit me hard and reduced me to tears, but all things that were welcomed (eventually) and needed. I feel like I am finally beginning to know myself well, so well that I even anticipated the happening of being too wrapped up into things and asked several people to pray for me about it and keep me accountable. I can very much see how gracious God has been in answering their prayers because I have felt quite free of stress overall and more excited than obsessed. Big Success!
If you talk to Zach he might have viewed things different but at least he without a doubt can agree that I could, and in the past have been, much worse. Of course no matter how hard you try it is impossible keep your life free of idols and distractions. Even ones as cute as chalkboards and welcome signs. But I am truly thankful that God is faithful in all things, in HUGE earth shattering difficulties of the past and small, fun, inconsequential, to some, things of the present.
The sale is this weekend and I am so ready. I'm ready to share my heart for creating with others. I'm ready to see the art others have created to the glory of God. I'm ready to see if anyone wants my stuff. I'm ready to, hopefully, earn a lot towards my trip to see the people of Romania again this summer. And I'm ready for it to be finished so that I can get back to my life where my evenings and afternoons are completely devoted to my family and the building of our home together and writing about the day to day of our lives instead of the destruction of my fingernails.
That's so awesome! I can't wait to hear how it goes. God has given you this gift and I love hearing how you are so drawn to giving it back! I have always wanted to go on a mission trip to Romania. It's sounds like you have a lot of exciting things ahead.
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