Skip to main content

sometimes it looks a little different than i imagined

my to-do list looks like most of yours:

laundry [fold & actually put away]
groceries
pick up living room
print orders
dance class
write?
make dinner
pick up dry cleaning
design?
bathtime
hang out with husband

lots of chores and errands and little tasks, with the occasional is-there-time-to-create? thrown in there. i'm a wife and a mom and a home-keeper-together-er and i have a couple part-time-from-home jobs for income, too. i mean, it's pretty much a crap-shoot whether there will be time to create. and lately i've been discouraged over that.

i like to design. i like to write. i like to take in beauty and give out my interpretation of it. i want to write music. i want to practice my non-existent keyboard because the piano still isn't tuned. i want to have a life full of margin and free-time to just do what my brain feels most at-home and my heart feels most at-peace doing.

but that's just not reality. i don't think it's reality for any of us. but that doesn't cancel out the desire, and it doesn't mean that we don't have anything beautiful to offer the world. it just means that we have to steal the moments, or we have to allow it to look a little different than we'd hoped or imagined. we have to settle for a few lines here, a little melody there. half a print started and another one barely finished.


but then when it's time and it can all come together, it's this spiritual experience of meeting with God in His secret place to create something lasting. and when it happens? it's always worth the wait and the struggle and what emerges is a treasure that we get to contribute to a world starving for Truth and art and beauty. i think it's one of God's ways of reminding us that He has called us by name, even though it doesn't always look how we thought it might.

i'm trying to be grateful for those times, even if they're few-and-far-between. but i'm also trying to be grateful for the times when there's no creating. because the things that i am doing are of utmost importance and i'll never get these years back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

i hope you'll take time to read through these:

by Sarah Bessey | In which art is like manna

by Christa Wells | This one's for the mothers

by Cassidy Robinson | Bloom where you're planted

then watch this video of Christy Knockels.

they've been instrumental in shaping my attitude and perspective here. just knowing that i'm not the only one, you know? if you struggle with what i've shared, you'll be so glad to know that real authors and artists and songwriters and mothers struggle the same way.







Comments

  1. I can't believe I am just now seeing this! I have been slack on blog reading lately... but this was perfect timing. It touched my heart so much. Thank you! And thanks for sharing my post as well. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

anthro gift card giveaway!!

I'm not sure what else would make your day today besides this:  14 of us  have gotten together to bless one of you with a special treat! We're giving away a $200 Gift Card to Anthropologie!!! There is only one mandatory entry. We just want you to let us know what you would spend the gift card on! All the other entries are bonus entries to increase your chances of winning! The giveaway ends on March 15th. -Ashley@The Vanilla Tulip- -Laura@Bits of Splendor-              -Kaylee@Life Chasers-   -Nat@Take the Cannoli-   -Annie@The Farrar Four-      -Aly@Blossom and Vine-   -Kristen&Allison@Lullaby Lubbock-   -Jenna@Day of Knight-  -Wynne@Gloriously Ruined- -Robyn@The Farmers Nest- -Alex@Peppermint Plum-              -Carina@Lovely Little Whimsy- -Danielle@Take Heart- -Natalie@ NS Pottery- a Rafflecopter giveaway

Salvage 517 [it's a giveaway!]

this is my friend Leslie.   if you aren't reading her blog , stop right now, and go over there and click follow.  because you're missing out on some of the best stuff online. just trust me. so Leslie is not only a gifted writer and teacher, but she's super creative too.  she recently opened an etsy shop called Salvage517 , where she sells beautiful things,  all of which are made from salvaged materials .  know what's fun? she chose you guys to have the chance to win one of her darling  Vintage Thanksgiving Card Displays  in the cutest fabric wrapped frames. seriously. you know you need one of these... so, here's all you have to do to enter: 1)  go to her shop and tell me what your favorite item is [leave a comment] for a chance at extra entries: 2) follow my blog  3) follow her blog [leave a comment for each] giveaway will be open through thursday night and the winner will be announced friday!  good luck! :)

to wipe away your yelling

one of my favorite things to do in december is to drive around to see the lights. our neighborhood is huge, and we have some seriously awesome houses. one of them is our next-door neighbor, so we don't have to look very far it we don't want to. but at least five or six times in december i would stick the girls in the car and drive around our neighborhood to spot the best-decorated houses. one particular evening, as we were driving, i asked my three-year old if she remembered what was so special about Christmas. "it's when Jesus came to see all my presents!" that's when you know you're doing a good job, right? yeah, so i gently reminded her that Jesus came, in fact, to wipe away our sins. after a thirty second pause, she wondered out loud: "He came to wipe away your yelling?" straight.to.the.heart. "Because when you yell, that's your sin. and when i don't listen to you, that's my sin." yes, right again. i found