the art of grace.

lately, i've been an advocate for creating.
     [newness in the debris.]

building friendships in the midst of brokenness.
piercing a nose through the sunburn.
cooking dinner with random scraps of leftovers.
receiving love from a Savior when my heart beats with rebellion.

i remember learning in chemistry about entropy,
that a system naturally goes from order to disorder over time.
meaning that unless energy is put into something, it just gets messier.

in this world, there's always going to be disarray.
and according to these laws of science, our environment is bent toward the chaos.

so i think there's something to creating in a world where there is always messiness.
i think there's something about picking up broken pieces and crafting something else,
not continued attempts at gluing back the original,
but designing something new.

i think, that maybe, that's what Jesus does with me.
He takes my heart that's so prone to messiness and continuously molds it into new artwork.

i'm not the same today as i was yesterday.
and i'll be different again tomorrow.

i'll be messy in another way from this entropy and sin that i live in.
yet i'll be more holy from the Potter always having His hands on me,
always kneading this clay of His.

i think that participating in my own acts of creation reflect my Maker's heart just a bit.
i think that's my favorite. and i think, just maybe, it might be His.
     [sculpting in the mess.]

crafting life from beauty is easy.
but life from the debris?
well, that brings Him the glory.
2 Corinthians 12:9

that's the art of grace.

what is grace?

Tonight I was sitting with Jesus as I journaled through my good friend Aletheia's comtemplative art journal.  I came to this piece where she prompted my thoughts with a question next to the painting:  What is grace?

Grace is
     having this dance with You,
     moving in step with this new routine of familiar patterns,
          as You hold me close in gentleness.

Grace is
     feeling Your heart beat in time with mine,
     sensing You flutter all around me,
          embraced by Your love so abounding.

Grace is
     the sea of love that swirls in Your eyes,
     vast shades of blue interacting,
     color with more depth than anything I've ever known.

Grace is
     us.
     this love story.
     and Your passion that never gives up on me
          with a magnitude that's incomprehensible.
     [You never stop loving me.]

Grace is
     everything that first brought me to You,
     and everything that keeps me where I am,
     and everything I live my life for.

Grace is
     this stillness,
          this love.
     it's here,
          and now.
     and there,
          and forevermore.

Grace is
     written in the story of my life,
     splattered in the paintings of my soul,
          the harmony that rings out as You pursue me,
          [undeserved and unending.]

Grace is
     beautiful.
     healing.
     enchanting.

Grace is the heart of my Savior.