One of the many cool things about God is that He can always take the ordinary and seemingly boring tasks and activities and draw the life out of them. I mean, He is the God of life! He came to bring life, He came to show us how to live, and not just survive, but live abundantly.

            I think most of us spend our whole lives trying to figure out what it means to live abundantly. And sadly, the majority of the time we get it wrong and in the end turn out disappointed. We think we have failed. Missed the mark. We then live in guilt instead of enjoyment.

God intended for His followers to both enjoy life and celebrate our walk of freedom every day, despite going through hardships and having very real responsibilities. Joy is our portion, is it not?

So why is it so hard to have it? Why do we strain for it yet never grab hold?

God has created artists to see the world through eyes of wonder, eyes that pull the beauty out of what most people might see as ordinary. It is a precious gift to be able to see this way, to be able to use our limitless imaginations to create endless possibilities, to stir wonder in people again. And yet, as an artist myself I have found that this world has a way of muting the wonder, of finding our weak moments and stealing what little joy we may have attained.

The world needs artists to see. To see the world for what it is, to really live and partake of this grand gift our Creator has bestowed to us. But we miss so much in pursuit of survival, or in the midst of what we call “real life.” I think we need to redefine what real life means to us.

We don’t just start a family, we enjoy the journey, the building, the moments and conversations, savor it all like a home-cooked southern meal.

We don’t just find a job, we discover what we love to do and embrace how God made us. And if we have to pay the bills, we choose to find joy in what we are doing even if it’s not what we ultimately end up doing the rest of our lives. After all, the seasons matter.

We don’t just have a social life, we value our friendships, take time to listen to what is important to other people, enjoy life and laugh together, and perhaps cry too. We live. We share.

We live in what God has given us now.

I think in God’s mind, nothing is ordinary. I’m just asking that He would help me see life more and more through His lens.

I believe that is how we will come alive.

If you are an artist, don’t let “life,” the world or the enemy of our souls steal your wonder or your creativity. Because we need the way you see things.