I took an art class a few years ago. It was an abstract class. Those artists use all kinds of things to paint with and their work turns out to be beautiful. I imagine ashes have been used before by famous abstract artist. It was fun to express myself and not have rules or limits too it, yet there were great ways to enhance art work even abstract art. It was such an interesting and fun experience. During that time the art school had an art opening of famous abstract artists. My DH (a huge cowboy) took me, out of an act of love. He stood out among those people for sure 🙂 HAHA!
I’m guessing the picture God is painting with my life is pretty abstract to me. I don’t see the beauty beneath it. I don’t see the purpose of heaping ashes onto me to create some artwork. My DH definitely didn’t see the purpose behind a lot of those art pieces. With the untrained eye you can’t see the beauty behind the work going on. The bible says in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” He has a plan and purpose for your trial you are facing. It produces patience and perseverance.
How can you consider trials pure joy? Oh man that is so hard. Over the time I was away from my DH I learned to consider my trials joy. It was a work that God did on my heart. I went through a book called 1000 blessing. The author goes through and starts naming little things she is thankful for. The sun shining onto the soap suds in the sink, The giggles of my daughter. These small things. This totally transformed my mindset.
I lived in a 5th wheel camper for 2 1/2 months with 4 children ages 10-4. I could have a lot to grumble about. I did grumble to begin with. As I wrote in my last post God transformed my heart. I had an attitude of why me. I continued to question why God made this happen to me. But He worked on my heart. He told me “Jenny Wren, you are chosen. I selected you to walk through this trial for a specific reason and purpose” God doesn’t do random things. I was hand chosen, for this man, for this family, for these children, for this trial. Wow, that is a message of purpose .
He sent me to a camp I went to as a college student. They gave me a place to stay free of charge and fed me and my 4 children every day with nothing in return. He opened the door for a friends son to go there to be a counselor. Because of my trial, my heap of ashes, this boys life was changed and he found his passion and purpose for his life. Now that is definitely beauty that came from my ashes.
Not only did he transform my life, and my friends sons life, He also transformed my oldest sons life. At the beginning of the summer his grumbling was out of control. As time went on I was naming things I was grateful for and I continued to tell him the little things. like the place we have to stay and the horses running to the pasture behind our camper nightly. I told him I could look at all the bad things and complain. Like the fact that we have to walk to our food and I have to take a shower in a public bath house. But I look at the blessings like we have a place to live and food everyday. But I saw a change in his heart. He went from being angry to saying that he could see that God was answering prayers.
We are all works of art in progress. We are making imperfect progress. We all face various trials to test our faith to bring us patience and perseverance. He has chosen you specifically to walk the trial you are facing. For a specific reason we can’t see. We only see the ashes. Like my DH in the art gallery, We don’t see the beauty underneath the masterpiece. You should get that book 1000 blessings. It changed my perspective on things. I should start reading it again.
Jenny Wren