On "Doing What You Love"

The same blurred photo as last week's post, can lead to the creating of very different and striking digital art than shown in the earlier set.

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ON "DOING WHAT YOU LOVE"

There’s so much blogging advice these days on “doing what you love.”  Take risks, dare to break out of the mold of the ordinary.  Stop being so afraid of failure that you don’t even try to reach your dreams.  Live beyond the confines of a quiet, safe, boring-but-maybe-secure life.

The importance of “living a meaningful story in life” may mean quitting a secure job to try out some secret longing with unknown financial rewards.  Or it might be keeping a full time job but adding many extra hours of side-projects.  So often, admonitions tend towards getting up earlier in the morning, or squeezing in extra hours that might be otherwise considered wasted.  But the writers of these, succeeded in fulfilling their passions.  They were strong enough, persistent enough, disciplined enough, and entrepeneurial enough to work more hours and earn enough money to live on while “doing what they love”, which often turns out to be to follow the muse of art, writing, music, or a higher college degree.

It sounds to me more like self-effort when the advice is –“Dare to become all that God created you to be”, or, “don’t settle for mediocre when you can do great things”.  Some of us (including myself), are unable to attain more strength and prowess by using up more hours and more strenuous activities.  The list includes the tired mother of an infant, the man whose education wasn’t complete, the one whose mind is incomplete, the person who ages before their time, or lives with chronic illness or in abject poverty – and many other people.  It’s not necessarily because they’re unwilling to risk or afraid of failure, but that they lack the strength to “do more and more.”

I yearn to write lots of books, and work on wonderful paintings.  I ache to build relationships in “community”.  Oh, I had so many dreams for a creative life.  I wanted to go deep in my walk with God and willingly help others.  But the circumstances of my life have all too often interrupted the way of life I’d hoped to live.  So I’m choosing not to write books.  But I do hope to respond occasionally to the cries of others.  For the sake of my limited health, I do the simpler art of operating a graphics program when I’d rather be making masterpieces with oils on canvas, and teaching others to do the same.

As for me realizing a goal of “becoming all God created me to be”, well, fortunately God is far bigger than my feeble self-effort.  And he’s quite capable of making me all he intended for me to be, all on his own.  I thank him and praise him that I’m still alive, still willing to learn, and still choosing to be hopeful (though I don’t always succeed at this).  

When He greets me as I get to heaven, is he going to ask me if I “created a meaningful story” to add to HIS story?  I don’t think so.  But I do hope he’ll say, “Blessings on you for making an effort to look to Me in spite of every obstacle you’ve endured.  I’ve been your Savior, Helper, Friend, Guide, Comforter, and more.  Enter into My rest.”   And resting in Him, will certainly be “Doing What I Love.”

images and text (c) 2013 by Marilee Miller

This post is shared with Laura Boggess

My Sculpted Wire Word

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Blogger Brianne Phillips has found a unique way to worship God with words. However, the kind of words I’m talking about, are not written on paper, or posted on a blog – though she’s talented at those pursuits, as well.  Rather, they are handmade wire “sculptures”, each one spelling out a special word.

A number of bloggers have chosen a “word for the year” to help guide them in their life and spiritual walk.  Brianne’s word is “freedom”.  She craves the freedom to be “her own self,” not trying to pattern herself the way someone else thinks she should be.  She wants the freedom to pursue God enthusiastically without buying in, any longer, to the lies that she might not be “good enough”, “capable enough.”  To remind herself that she’s trying to learn how to be free, she sculpted in script lettering, her word, freedom.  She can see her wire word every day.  She’s also made wire sculptures of the various words chosen by several other bloggers.

Brianne asked me about my “word for the year”.  I said I didn’t think I’d really chosen a word for the year, but that if I had one at all, it would be “resting.”

My body isn’t at all strong.  I require more “alone” time than the average person.  Oh, how I need my physical rest.
I don’t want to be tempted to linger overlong on the internet, because I need my mind-rest.
There’s sometimes the “learned” guilt of thinking I should do more, think more deeply, have achievements to show for my having lived, in order to “be a good workman approved of the Lord” – but this sort of push can sap my intellectual rest.
The daily chores and “interruptions”, the attempts to meet self-imposed schedules, build up pressure until I need to give my emotions a rest.
The demands of other Christians that I “measure up” to their expectations of who God would want me to be, can only be outlived and outloved within His rest.
And I want, crave, and delight in lots of quiet spaces with God – times when I’m not DOING, but simply being.  He alone is my spiritual rest.
After ingesting glaring news headlines and realizing much of the world is sinking or in flames…  REST in the God who is in final control.
From the fears and doubts and lies that try to wash away  my value as His “beloved”…  REST in my
Saviour, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
From the unexpected events that demand more strength than I can muster, and thus am left breathless and  
reeling … REST in the Lord who alone sustains me.
From the yen to fulfill the desires of my heart, which I believe God has placed in me, but which drive me to produce more art, or writings, or some expression of creativity than I’m really well enough to practice  … REST, simply seeing beautiful things in my imagination but not actually doing the “work”, allows me to simply bask in the Holy Spirit’s own vastly more beautiful, powerful creativity.

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Brianne’s wire word sculpture arrived in my mailbox.  I hung it where I can see it while I’m preparing a meal, or sitting to eat at my table.  I appreciated her caring enough about me to make me my special word.  But I didn’t realize, at first, just how powerful a reminder a simple word could be. 

Now, when the pressure builds inside me, and I find myself frowning (or maybe even ready to grumble), my eye falls on that word on my wall.  RESTING.  And I sort of do a double take.  (Even though I’ve already done the same thing a number of times before.)  I take a deep breath.  An almost involuntary, restorative smile breaks forth. 

“Oh, that’s right.  I’m resting!”

Trusting in God to provide for me.  Agreeing that “he is able to keep me from falling and present me faultless before the presence of his glory.” I’ve already given everything I am, to Him.  And he’s already accepted my sacrifice of praise.” 

And some of the tension in my muscles laughingly drains away.  He’s already taken care of my rest.  I don’t need to keep on the go.  I’m not a machine that must produce!  I can just relax and enjoy that he’s promised he’ll always hold my hand, and never leave or forsake me.

RESTING: What a beautiful, endearing, restful, releasing word!  
RESTING: What a wonderful, enduring, full of zest, all-increasing God is our Lord!

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Thanks, Brianne, for my sculpted wire word. 
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GIVEAWAY!

Leave a comment on Brianne’s blog – This Is My Offering – any time this week, and tell her your own word.  If you are chosen the winner of her giveaway, she will sculpt and mail you YOUR OWN wire word.

You can reach Brianne Phillips’ blog at thisismyoffering.blogspot.com

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This post is shared with Laura Boggess, "The Wellspring,"  Playdates with God