ever since Nsoko, where the skies are clear, something about the skies have been exciting me. not just the idea of stars or planets or clouds, but the way they were created and their Creator. I think it is so mind blowing how God loves us so much to paint new colors in the sky every morning and every night. yellows, pinks, and purples, all so we can be reminded of his glory. the way the milky way was blown into existence just by a breath of fresh air. There is something so special about God being intentional with His Creation and giving us the Spirit to enjoy it.
a constant theme that God has been teaching me throughout my time here in Africa is how creative and intentional He is. Being an artist I knew the depths of creativity within the human heart and mind, but did I truly understand where humans get these traits from? and how each and every human is wired with creativity even when they arent aware of it?
Creativity and art defined by society is based on whether or not you can draw something more than a stick figure, or sing a song well. but what society is missing is that because we are created by the ultimate Creator of the universe, we all inherit the characteristic of creativity, even though this may look differently for everyone.
Growing up taking art classes I was always tied down to perfection when it came to art. drawing is not my medium and this always left me discouraged. I always knew I was passionate about art and wanted to use it to glorify God, but I never understood how (to be fair, I never really spent time praying about it either). this semester I even picked up an art minor and was trying to justify my decision by just claiming it was a passion and honestly had no clue what I was going to do with it, ministry wise.
I came home from ministry one day in Nsoko and saw a box of oil pastels on the table left over from the team who was staying at the house before us. I was so excited and spent a few hours that night sitting and reflecting on my day and what God had been teaching me. I started to use colors that I felt had emotion and drew shapes that reflected Creation. birds & stars. I wrote words that hold power. it looks a little messy, and it looks a little childlike. but it was worship, looking like surrender and praise, and it was good.
this was a little revelation. art as worship. I don’t have to make perfect art in order to glorify Him. God has given me the creative passion inside of my soul for a reason. He doesn’t waste that. my job is to use it for the Kingdom. my job is to use it to bring Him glory. because He created all of the beautiful things in the sky, and He created my soul, I recieve the same characteristic of creativity that He has. Heres to the newfound revelation of creativity from my Father and art as worship. I can never forget this promise now!
