Forgive me for a moment as you journey into the mind of an artist:
Inspiration is everywhere. Currently I’m sitting at my desk, taking a break from my work to jot down a few thoughts on viewing the world around us with fresh eyes.
With the hopes of snow crushed again in Nashville, we can all think back to a cold morning, when we looked out the window and gasped at the beauty of our snow covered yards. Trees glistening in the sunlight. Icicles beginning to form on the roofs edge like a castle growing in front of our eyes. And the anticipation of exploring something magical that mysteriously happened over night.
The same can be said of the first time we viewed the ocean. Forever expanding in all directions. White ripples brushing the golden sand. Reminding us of the smallness of our lives in this great tapestry, and yet the joy of being a part of the beauty we’re beholding.
But today. Workers shoveling manure into a garden. Unending traffic shuffling by. If we take a moment, we see more.
I see my favorite building, an old dilapidated structure that houses a plumbing company. It’s really not much to look at, but something about it always captures me. Perhaps the misshapen roof that shows the passage of time. The cement covered exterior shows streaks of black and white in a pattern that reminds me of the weathering we all experience. It’s soundings aren’t much to speak of either. Littered with rusted materials used and saved. Sometimes I just take walks around the building and think of what all I could make with what others have thrown away.
The trees I can see from my window, still bare from winter, always inspire me. I would think most people see death from leafless trees, necked and exposed. I see life. I remember the heavy laden greenery that adorns it’s branches and know that day is approaching when spouts of fresh green covering will begin to grow and stretch towards the sky.
When I take the time to embrace the beauty around me, life slows. Breathing grows deeper. I smile. Moments are fleeting, quickly. Passing by like the rushed vehicles streaming past my window. I don’t want to miss this. This moment. God prepared these moments for us before time as we know it began.
I see a building that though weathered and aged with time is still standing and serving its purpose. I see the trees, who’s heart is still beating and poised to expand. And still, this beautiful sphere, gifted to us by our Father is only a glimpse, at best, of our home to come. Indescribable colors shooting from every direction, sights that even our most brilliant dreams cannot compare to. I take these moments to embrace life deeper, to explore my perceptions. But to remind myself that while life indeed is beautiful, Eternity still seems so much better.
God made these moments for us. We don’t have to wait for them, they’re waiting for us.
