It always freaks me out just a bit when I get a request to make art for someone. All these fears go through my head, but the biggest one is "what if my vision for what they're asking for, isn't what they see?" Then there is that awkward moment when I present them with a piece of art that isn't anything like they were expecting. Somehow I feel like that fear is multiplied times 10 when your Pastor asks you to create a piece of art to go in the foyer of your church.

However, one of the things that I've consistently asked God for, is to let me create for His glory. So despite my fears, I accepted the challenge and moved forward. I began making all these plans on how  I saw this art, how it was all going to fit together. I sat down at my easel, and put  up the canvas, then, I did something I'd never thought to do before, I put both hands on it and prayed. Prayed that God would guide me, fill me with the creativity of the Holy Spirit, and that what I would create would be to His glory. Then, I listened......I just listened.  I sat back and looked at the canvas, and listened, I drew a heart in the center of it, which was part of my plan, and I listened. Then, I sat back in my chair again, looked at the heart, and yes, I still listened. That, was when I heard, that was when God spoke, that was when God told me HIS plan, and made me realize how small my plan was. That was when He showed me that I wasn't thinking big enough, that His plan was bigger.

I wonder how often I do that, how often I don't think to, or take the time to listen and just move ahead with my plan. I wonder how many times God has shook His head at me and thought, if she'd only listen, she'd hear MY plan and she'd see just how much bigger and better My plan is than hers. I'm sure I've missed out on so much because I just went ahead and did things my way.

As I'm relearning how to do my art, learning how to make art for the process of it, not for what the finished piece will be, I have to say that this particular piece of art, it is very difficult for me to do that.  I feel as though, it's not just one person who may look at it and think "huh, that's not quite what I had in mind", but the entire congregation. However, knowing that as I'm doing it, I'm listening, and He's talking, and He's working through me to create it, I know that it'll be exactly what He expected, and in all of life,  THAT is what matters most. Yes, what I'm doing is for His glory and it is pleasing in His eyes.

As for my pastor Josh and the rest of the congregation, I hope it's pleasing to you all as well, just know that it wasn't my idea if you should look at it and think "huh, that's not quite what I had in mind", take it up with God, cause it was His idea, not mine LOL.