Creativity Running Amok
Bless my heart! Last year I cross-stitched five angel ornaments to give as gifts to some special people who had touched my life. If you read last year’s posts from the fall, you will see some of my projects. Each one was different, and none were according to the original pattern. Like following a recipe, following a cross-stitch pattern is just beyond me!
Before I quit for the season last year, I got two finished for my oldest grandchildren – which means I still have bunches to do this year to finish out gifts for all the grands.
I got one angel done in Josie Beth’s favorite color – purple. Though I’ve never seen a picture of an angel wearing purple, we do have our own little angel who loves to wear the color.
I had a good start on Dylan’s angel before I decided to add a teaching point to the artwork. Though angels don’t need the armor of God, I am making his angel a little warrior.
Bunny trail – Dylan wants to put up Christmas ornaments early like Grammie does. His mama said no. Grammie is providing little Christmas crafts along the way each time we get to see them. I also presented a challenge to Dylan and Josie.
Because Dylan likes to wonder about things, I suggested that he could join me in thinking about the Christmas story. I’ve written blogs every year about the wonderful event.
And I wonder still.
So – I gave Dylan and Josie a notebook to write in and a sketch book to draw things they are thinking about. I asked Dylan to read the Christmas story from their Bible picture books to Josie. Between them, I asked them to wonder about Christmas and draw their wonderings. Dylan loves astronomy, so he already has a star drawn. I am writing my wonderings as well and hope to join their stories and pictures with mine. Fun!!!
Back to my creativity. I had worked a few hours before I decided on the warrior angel. To be an Ephesians 6 man, he needed a special belt and a breastplate, sword, shield, helmet (with a halo), fancy shoes. and of course wings. I tore out gobs of stitches and let my imagination have spin.
Working with three colors of metallic thread had my head going for spin along with my patience heading out the door.
Not really. I was having fun. Hours later I decided to hang it up for the night and do my neck exercises to try to loosen up my tight shoulders and aching neck. But in the day’s activity – well, you guessed it. There are several object lessons.
Doing things right takes time and patience.
Redoing things to make them unique and special is worthwhile. Even if the things end up out of the ordinary – Way Out!
We often see the day to day drudgery of working and seldom if ever see the total picture of our messy lives.
What we see and what God sees are two different things. We work on untangling the ugly situations which we have gotten ourselves into. (Please! All the REAL cross-stitchers out there, please don’t judge!)
But as we allow God to guide our lives, a beautiful pattern emerges. Sometimes, we are masterpieces only the Lord can see.
Though not finished, my warrior is off to a good start – unless my imagination runs amok again! To justify this warrior angel, I wonder if when Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus fled to Egypt to escape the evil King Herod, were there guardian angels along the way to insure their safety? So maybe my warrior angel is legit.
Psalm 91:11 ESV ‘For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.’
Psalm 34:7 ESV ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Blessings
Kara Beth
