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Jane’s Blog – Dealing with Difficulties, Part 2

PLC is hosting an Art Exhibit this Sunday, August 16, titled “Ignite the Spirit Fire,” and on a whim I decided to try my hand for the first time at painting with acrylics so I could enter the exhibit. What a challenge!! As I followed along with Pastor Sean’s message on Sunday (Dealing with Difficult Circumstances), I realized that God is using paint (of all things!) to try to develop some godly character traits in me!

First of all, Pastor Sean told us that the purpose of difficult circumstances is so we can develop perseverance. All kidding aside, about three minutes into having a paint brush in my hand, I recognized that I would need a ton of perseverance if I was to contribute anything to the art exhibit of value – or anything at all. Art is a really grueling, tough discipline. No one gets better by giving up! And having the right supplies on hand makes all the difference, as does having a nice photo for inspiration.

Can you find the spiritual disciplines (the focus of the art exhibit) in that last paragraph?? Let me help…there’s prayer, prayer, more prayer, and a little mentoring. All of which are essential in order to weather the difficult circumstances in life – no matter what they are!

Then Pastor Sean dropped the “P” word. And lamented how he didn’t like that word at all…because he’s not very good at it. That word would be “patience,” of course, and I have to readily confess that I lost that virtue many, many times as I dipped and slopped paint around my canvas. It finally dawned on me that my impatience was largely due to my lack of control, and total inexperience. Go figure!  Whether we are in difficult circumstances due to our own making or outside forces, none of us likes to feel out of control, do we? And as to inexperience, well, you guessed it…we never like to admit to that, do we?

And then finally, Pastor Sean encouraged us to develop perspective and to submit to what God might do in the midst of the difficulties. That’s one thing that’s really been tough for me with paint dripping off my brush. I mean, I can see it counts a lot if the picture is going to be recognizable. Maybe that’s why, if you see my name on a canvas at the art exhibit, it just might be in the “abstract” category. Make of it what you will; perspective is a gift from God. And sometimes, so is art.

 

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