Originally published Tuesday, 01 April 2014.
The Stone Collective is a community making much of Jesus as we create art, photography, prose, poems or music that commemorate the wonderful things God does in our life. Based on the passage in 1 Samuel 7:12-14, each month we will collect Ebenezer Stones as a regular practice in the art of worship via our creativity.
To learn more about The Stone Collective, read Introducing The Stone Collective from last month
We invite YOU to join in as well as we cultivate a community of those who love to create {anything!} and make much of Jesus via art, poems, prose, photography...whatever! Be sure to check out the info below to find out how you can take part in The Stone Collective.
Sarah's March Stone:
I sat down with my paints and brushes to quiet my heart after the Lord reminded me of the refinement I'm going through these days. Many "no's" and closed doors and times where I must do The Hard Stuff. I'm seeing on the other end of the hard stuff the blessings of growth and connectedness I'm feeling to Jesus. All I could do was say Thank You. In the eyes of many people around us, saying thank you for a period of hard stuff or refinement seems absurd; it seems counter cultural.
As I began to work the paint on the page and contemplated how I wanted to express my feeling towards this season of refinement. It would have been easy to get out my stamps and make perfect little letters to express a Thank You and the sentiment of "in the process..." but it seemed symbolic to handwrite (even though imperfectly) the text as a means of giving the Lord my messy, my awkward, my shaky. It is a humbling thing to put out on the world wide web a piece of art so imperfect and vulnerable. But, my Ebenezer Stone is a remembrance of the purity that comes from allowing God to put us through the hard stuff in messy, awkward, shaky trust. Step by step I seek Him with every "no" and closed door. Step by step I thank Him for what He is doing IN me...
"...So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7 ESV)
The inner work God does in us has so much eternal value.
Thank you for allowing me to share the product of 15 minutes of a quiet heart while I used my creativity for worship. Oh... and the feather is really just something that I felt like it would be fun and relaxing to sketch. Not sure there's any real significance there...just fun...
It is YOUR TURN to join in...
Want to join in on The Stone Collective? Create your own Stone and link up to LIVE IT OUT! Blog. #TheStoneCollective
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