The Black Friday Irony

So I'm reading my email this morning and all the messages seem to be from stores running Black Friday sales. As I found myself starting to make a mental note of things to purchase, the bitter irony of the day hit me smack in the forehead. I just spent all of yesterday being thankful for what I have. Why am I suddenly tossing all that out the window and experiencing this discontent? Am I crazy? What changed in the last 24 hours? Answer: absolutely nothing except that I paid attention to the advertisements that convince me I will be missing something by not participating in the annual shopping ritual called Black Friday.

Don't get me wrong--in past years I've been out there just like everyone else. It used to be a favorite thing that I would do with my sister and father when I was growing up. I think I enjoyed being part of the crowds and soaking in the holiday atmosphere. Sure there was some window shopping for myself and also taking care of a few items on my Christmas list. But nowadays I find myself experiencing more and more disgust for this push to acquire stuff--stuff for myself, stuff for friends, stuff for family, stuff for co-workers, stuff for the dog...stuff, stuff, STUFF! Ugh! Is this what we've turned Christmas into? When does it end?

Maybe it's because I'm in smaller living quarters. I don't have room for more stuff. Or maybe it's because I'm tired of sorting through stuff. I don't have the energy to keep going through things and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. I suspect, however, that my growing aversion to stuff has more to do with my perspective on life. It's been changing in the last few years as God has graciously opened my eyes to the reality of eternity. The stuff loses a lot of its shine when it is viewed in terms of its eternal value.

So I find myself asking: Have I had a quality conversation with a friend or family member? Do my niece and nephew know that I love them? Do my co-workers need to hear what Christmas is truly about, that Jesus Christ came to love them and to die for them so that they could have a personal relationship with the God of the universe? Those things would last much longer than the newest phone, the hottest toys, or the office gift exchange. Make no mistake; it will still cost me--conversations, expressions of affection, and sharing the gospel all take me and my time. But if I'm willing to give some of that, I could give the people around me something that will last far beyond Black Friday and December 25th...and they won't have to find a space for it.

Concepts

"Concepts #3"
10X14"
Watercolor

It feels like for-EVER since I last posted something here! I have missed sharing art with others. It's not that I haven't wanted to post anything; I have merely been waiting for God's direction and timing for art projects. I'm not sure that I can say I have returned or that I will be posting regularly again, but for right now I have something that I can share.

God has taken me through quite a process in the last couple of years. In fact, my previous post was shortly after I moved out of my rented art studio and had sold the vast majority of my supplies. I thought it was just a downsizing. Then I felt the Lord directing me to get rid of all my previous artwork. It was a painful purging. Although I was able to give some of it away, most of my paintings and drawings ended up in the trash. I started to wonder if God was calling me to give up the art stuff for good.

See, I had all these nice ideas of how God was going to use my art. The only problem is, they weren't God's ideas. He had to take my nice little box of concepts and smash it to bits. Again, a painful experience, but very necessary. Now I wait for His leading and His inspiration. And that has lead to a much happier, much more successful art venture than would have happened had I pursued my own ideas.