Art Journaling: Just show up.

Hope begins in the dark,

the stubborn hope that if you just show up

and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

You wait and watch and work:

you  don't give up.

Anne Lamott

It never fails.

So much of art applies to life.

When I was a Young Life leader (from about 18 to 32)

Young Life club night would come and I'd be dead and not wanting to go

and listing the reasons in my head why I couldn't go

and then I would just will myself to show up

and I would be blessed beyond anything I can put into words.

And not a {smile}  "Oh, I'm so blessed!"

because I have food and clothes and health...

and I don't have any catastrophes or fatal illness

but a real: God giving me eyes to see this hurting girl {his daughter}right in front of me

and she allows me the privilege of opening up her life to me. and everything really isn't okay.

and get to be a part of what God is doing to bring his precious daughter back to himself.

I get to see the God of the Universe at work.

blessed.

And I almost missed it because

I almost didn't show up.

I don't want to do art.

just show up.

I don't want to be nice to this person.

just show up.

I don't want to meet my neighbors.

just show up.

I don't want to exercise.

just show up.

I don't want to read my Bible.

just show up.

I don't want to be brave today.

just show up.

I don't want to meet new people.

just show up.

I don't want to _______.

just show up.

But that is the whole essence of life right?

I think showing up is 90% of life.

I don't want to show up.

I wanna sit on my couch and watch the bachlorette and be comfortable.

And then I miss the life (that is real life)that God has for me.

So, my art making has been on a long hiatus (about a year)

since I had Joshy last June.

And now I want to show up and make art.

Because when I do, I am blessed.

 

So that is my art plan: just show up.

and wait. in eager expectation.