… watching for the brushstrokes of God
When the journey seems long and never ending, when it’s hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel, when it feels overwhelming to keep ones footing, then we need to pay attention to the glimpses of joy.
How do you stay playful and celebrate on this journey?
I have been watching the little creatures. It seems while we stay home they come out to play. Or do the birds just seem more plentiful and noisier? Are the bugs more busily crawling all over the place in the stillness of my life? Or does it catch my attention more?
Where do you find joy in the little things and creatures?
Give us holy boldness, Lord: to struggle for justice until we die.
The butterfly has eyes, the chameleon blends in, the turtle has a shell, the bug turns into a stick…nature has many ways to protect those bold enough to venture out.
What gives you the courage to be bold?
I am watching the birds sitting on the wire and wonder, “What do you see?” The beauty of the world before you? The gift of being part of God’s creation? Having a conversation with God about the daily stuff of life? Or simple being?
What do you see with bird’s eyes view?
“Gather together a large group of unsettled bodies – or assemble a group of bodies and then unsettle them – and you get a mob or a riot. But bring a large group of settled bodies together and you have a potential movement – and a potential force for tremendous good in the world. A calm, settled body is the foundation for health, for healing, for helping others, and for changing the world. ” Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands
How do we settle ourselves in these unsettled times?
I inhaled deeply when I heard Bruce Long say “Beauty is Oxygen”. The coronavirus is taking our breath away, literally and figuratively. Do I wonder why I paint when people are dying? What helps us catch our breath these days? How do we breathe deeply the breath of God?
What is the role of beauty?
With the Eyes of the Heart 