Crafts seem to have taken over the world! There are silk flower crafts, pottery painting stores, scrap-booking parties and conventions, craft stores the size of roller rinks, and even classes on how to learn stained glass crafts. I will admit to you that I am indeed craft-impaired. There is no way that I can paint a recognizable flower on stemware or even make a bracelet out of beads that anyone would want to wear. I am just not gifted in this area. Now, I can do children’s crafts all day long, such as coloring in color books, making a chocolate castle out of cookies and candy, or making an entire apartment out of Play Dough. I have done all of these with numerous children. Are you impressed?
My sister, Connie, on the other hand, is very artistic and creative and I have always been impressed with her ability to make something beautiful out of anything. She is so natural at it and she seems to always find new projects to exercise this talent. She is a hair stylist, cake decorator, painter, house decorator, and on and on.
This make me think about the Lord and how He takes the experiences of our lives to creatively use them for our growth and for His glory. I went to a Christian aerobics class and eventually became the director of a large gospel aerobics program called Lord in Fun Exercise (L.I.F.E.) in the ’80’s. Since I have always been a large person and was never allowed to dance in our family, this WAS really creative of the Lord. I choreographed hundreds of routines during the eight years I led that ministry. When I resigned as director, we had 50 instructors and 1500 students.
Another “creative craft” the Lord had me do was direct a single parent family ministry at our church, Now, why would the Lord place me in this ministry when I had been very happily married for over 30 years at that time? It is like God has created me as His “craft project” to be unique and useful at the same time. Where has God led you and what has He allowed in your life to make you into His beautiful “‘craft project”, so you can be all you can be for His Glory and for His purpose?
Read 1 Peter 4:10-11 – When we are in alignment with God’s will, there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING we cannot do in His name. We can live a rich life of joy, contentment and victory. We can trust Him, no matter how creative He is with our lives.
VISIONS OF HIM – The next time you are gathering the supplies for your craft project, remember that He is doing the same thing in your life. Pray that you will become all that He wants you to be, to be used for His glory.
Excerpt from “Visions of Him…Seeing God in Everyday Things” written by Robyn Besemann Available on amazon.com, robynbministries.com and other booksellers’ websites.