Ojalá, Selah, Lateda

Artists’ Way: Week 4

Oh my. Week 4 of the Artists’ Way dragged out over 2 weeks. I think I was pretty close to not making it through. But here I am. I answered my check-in questions and read Week 5’s chapter today. I’m now over a week behind the rest of the online group and haven’t read anyone else’s posts about it for 2 weeks, but at least I’m still in. I’ve discovered I am very good at self-sabotage and can come up with a million “good things” to do rather than feed my artist. Week 5 is going to be sooo good for me, wish me luck with keeping it up.

Ok, so I just posted this and walked away from the computer to continue on with my evening. But then I came right back. I don’t think the above does justice to my two weeks of Week 4. They really were very full weeks, physically, emotionally and spiritually. They deserve a bit more reflection. So if my lovely children will permit it I will try to elaborate. (3 more people were fired at my office today so my reading and writing of blogs and such things will be done solely from home from now on. Which should have been the case all along, I know. )

Week 4 included my birthday weekend and my husband gave me the fabulous present of a weekend in Atlanta with my favorite church friend for the Women of Faith conference. I had never been to a Christian stadium event before and being surrounded by 16,000 or so women of faith was quite the experience. More than once during the worship music I just stood and stared around at the mass of ladies filling up the arena. My concerns that right-wing politics were going to mar my experience were unfounded. I am cynical by nature and was a little put off by how much was for sale and how often we were told to buy it, but I had no “out-of-context” or “Hallmark card theology” alarm bells go off during the speakers. I was completely won over by Patsy Clairmont. She is an amazing woman. That she was able to go from being an agoraphobic shut-in to speaking to 1000’s of people is staggering. And she is able to effectively mix humor, a Biblical perspective and inspiration. In fact, all the speakers were amazing women (well, except Max Lucado, he’s still a man.) I think my biggest take-away from the conference was the idea that all these speakers and singers having such an amazing impact on stadiums full of women, are in fact very ordinary women. The main thing that sets them apart is that they went through intense trials and trusted God through them. Each seemed to have really surrendered their life to God and His will and he has decided to do amazing things through them. I was inspired to more fully surrender myself to God’s plan for my life. But along with that an old fear was brought up.

Oh my, the timer just went off. I asked my kids for 20 minutes of quiet time to write this without any interruptions and that time is up. Oh well. Perhaps leaving this entry unfinished will bring me back sooner. Hope so anyway, I think this process is good for me.