learning to see/hear/perceive/live clearly...

The man replied, “I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see.” (John 9:25)

Jesus then said, “I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.” (John 9:39)

Naomi Campbell, experimenting with color

This morning I’m throwing in a lighter post. Not that I’m abandoning the ongoing discussion or ignoring some of the new questions and comments. But, as I pointed out yesterday, this blog is always about what is touching my spirit, and what I’m learning about “Living like we mean it” on a day-to-day basis.

So, when I turned on my computer, this image (above) reached out and grabbed me. It’s classic “Naomi Art” inasmuch as it is a completely free expression. Our daughter is always more interested in the process, in color, and in texture than fussing over details.

It’s not so much that Naomi is against realism in art, it’s more that she sees things differently.

My favorite Naomi sunflower

WRITING and ART: I believe that writing can have the same dynamic. People often ask me, “Where do you get your stories?” or “You had to have made that up! or “I’ve been there (Mt. Sinai, Pyramids, Walmart, wherever…) too but I never had that experience….”

You see there’s an extent to which writing can be impressionistic, or abstract in the same way that painting can. When you look at a painting by Naomi you understand that she actually sees things differently. I believe it can be the same way when I write.

JESUS: Jesus was always suggesting to people that they get their equipment checked. He pointed out numerous times how people didn’t see… didn’t hear… didn’t listen… didn’t perceive…didn’t understand… didn’t remember… didn’t “get it.”

Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? (Mark 8)

That’s one reason I try to spend both quality and quantity time with Jesus each and every day. The Great Teacher fine tunes my senses. Jesus opens the eyes of my heart.

Life is a great story!

SPLASH! So if I want to write with a splash of color like Naomi’s painting, then I have to stay with Jesus. I have to have my senses enhanced by the Spirit. I must remember that the heart of creativity is always the heart of the Creator.

So “No, I don’t make stuff up…” But I am learning to give my creative soul to Jesus, and to see the beauty and the light and the glory of this life-charged life.

- DEREK