Brandelyn: Lyrical Contradiction

My Youth Pastor is always talking about the process. Most times people look at the finished product of something and a lot of times, the actual 'process' is rarely thought about. I have been going through an emotional reconstruction of sorts and the best way I can explain it is through the painting I just finished. I have realized that painting, writing, museums, being outside and people watching, anything that is creative is my therapy. Whenever I get wound up, start getting migraines, feel my body begin to get stuff and tighten up, I know that it is because I have not tapped in to my creative lifeline. I decided that I was going to turn off my phone, open my windows, turn up my super chill playlist and simply create. My head has been swirling lately with all the things that are going on. Big, major things that have caused my body to get tense, the migraines to become consistent and my cravings for coffee to increase greatly, but that is another story in itself.

Step one...Protection and preparation...

Just like me...the canvas needs to be prepared for everything that is coming to it. It needs a coat of protection in order to be ready. In my life, that coat of protection comes from my morning devotional time. 

Each time I read the Word of God, I get a little bit stronger. The word I get every morning is just like the Gesso I put on the canvas. It washes over me and coats me, protecting me, preparing me. And most importantly, it is necessary. I need the protection to get through the day...Lord knows I need that protection. 

The next step is sketching the idea in the sketchbook. 

 Just like with my dreams, and the promises that God has given me, I have a vision of what I think it will turn out to be like. So I write them down, watch them play out in my dreams at night and get excited, but I know that what I envision is literally NOTHING on what God has for me. I'm just sayin...

Now that the canvas is coated, prepared and ready, Its now time to take the idea from the sketchbook and transfer it on to the canvas... 

At this point, the changes in the vision become clear, but it is still close enough to what I envisioned for me to recognize that this is still a part of the plan. I can feel safe with this. I feel ready. The awesome things is that you may not be able to fully see the vision, but you know its there...

The tools...

God has already given me everything I need to do what He has called me to do. All I need to remember is that I have them. And I can use them. I have them. 

The Vision become clear...er... 

 Once I have allowed myself to open up to the process, things begin coming more clear. Once I force myself to be quiet, stop asking questions, and simply allow God to use me, I start to see who and what God created me to be.

Switch it up...

 God has blessed us all with multiple gifts and talents. In order to accomplish what He needs to do in us, there will be plenty of times when He requires that we switch it up. So just like this painting, it started out with Acrylic paint, but it was necessary to switch to watercolor, to get the right affect. The key is to listen and obey God when He tells us to make the change. And even after that we still have to make more changes...(note the orange in the painting)

The thing is, God has something amazing planned for each of us. We can choose to tap into that or not. I have always been a dreamer, a BIG dreamer. I don't know what the finished product will look like. I know the vision I have, but I have learned to trust God and trust the process. 10 times out of 10, the way I think something is going to turn out...

(see any orange?) The way something starts is rarely how it finishes. We just have to trust God, trust in the process and know that no matter what, it will turn out to be beautiful in the end... 

Peace Y'all

B