Art With Mr. E: Sunday Devo With Mr. E: Something Different

 Artists have an amazing ability to create what originally was only a thought/idea. In the process of bringing something to life, the artist may need to make minor and/or necessary changes. This is part of creating.  We are use to seeing our vision carried out to fruition, and we will do what is needed to make that happen.  This is often how we approach the rest of our life as well.  We feel if we can imagine it than we can make it happen. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. There are times what we imagined just doesn’t occur.  This can be frustrating, depressing, and even “soul” crushing.  We get caught up in things going our way, and when they turn out different than expected we struggle to see the good in the unplanned outcome.  The thing is…even great ideas fail or don’t turn out like we thought they would from time to time no matter the effort & tenacity of the individual. We will not ALWAYS get our way or be able to make our plans happen.  A different outcome can be the very thing we needed to grow as artists & people!  It may allow us to see our original plan was not actually the best, or what we learned from the struggle proved to be a vital in creating something better than imagined. 

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, 

but later you will understand.”  John 13:7 

I am often baffled by the disciples. They walked with Jesus. They ate with him. They heard him teach. They saw Jesus heal. All of these things were not enough for them to grasp what the Lord was doing.  I’d like to think I would have been different.  I would have gotten what God was up to!  Truth is…I wouldn’t.  They were imagining Jesus being a different type of Savior.  They imagined him leading as a king. They wanted something different. What they received was exactly what they needed (even if they didn’t see it at the time).  What Jesus provided was an example of a servant. He showed them how to meet the needs of others.  What he gifted them with was the love of a friend. He taught them how to walk with God.  He showed them how to use all of these things to reach their world.  They did not understand….until after things turned out different than they expected. They were at the point of being crushed by the weight of their disappointment & their struggles to comprehend…..and then the Lord shows up…again. Then they begin to realize that what they thought should happen….was not a part of THE plan.  God’s way is always better than our own. Something different is ok. This is often God’s way, we just need to learn to listen & rest in Him! 

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