The Courage Not to Sabotage
January 10^th, 2022

     It is an early morning. I am feeling excited by the possibilities. I might create something – a piece of writing, a drawing, or hope in the heart of someone beleaguered. I am reading “The Artist’s Way”, by Julia Cameron. Being challenged to let life – God – point me into a direction in which it might be wise or beneficial to go. The thing is, in order to say yes to such a challenge, I must first accept that the direction in which I am already going is not necessarily the best direction in which to be headed. Or, at least, not the only good direction to go. I need to believe that correction, or redirection, or creative discipline would be an asset. It means putting down pride. Or, perhaps, understanding that I’m maturing or that a growth process is taking place – even necessary.

    In “The Artist’s Way” I have been reading about how fear can sabotage our creative abilities and results. I battle fear a lot. I am this very minute fearful that I’m honestly not a writer, have no good writings within me, might not be welcome in the literary world, might make a mess of a good idea. If I hear that fear out and succumb to it, I will lay aside my pen and still the expression of my thoughts and feelings.  I'll refuse to communicate to anyone ideas that could conceivably interest, challenge, encourage, or comfort another. And I would walk away personally defeated at worst. At best, I would cheat another soul out of the dare to self-express. Death and burial will have taken place before life was ever invited to become potential reality. What a tragedy!

    No. I will summon the courage to say my piece. To beckon a fellow human to come and get to know me.  To make the effort to experience the adventure of getting to know himself or herself better. To give God the opportunity to display his hand at work through another life, another creative endeavor. And to give voice to each of us as a sparking facet in the creators diamond of life and allow each to twinkle into the universe, as He desires. How sad a loss the absence of that would be!

    So, I am choosing, right here, right now, at the desk at which I’m sitting in this wee morning hour, to lay upon the page before me word upon word. To splash hints and droplets of invitation to be read. To hope, allowing a beautiful design to be fashioned through both writer and reader. Oh, the possibilities! Oh, the potential from the connection of Spirit with spirit! The Bible mentions “deep calling to deep”, and that’s precisely what it is. Our interactions can then become a playful but serious arena in which love can take place and come to fruition. Life is birthed in such an environment.

     So… fears be gone! Effort press on! And may the thrill of experiment bring forth the shapes, colors, and textures of creations that defy the imaginings of souls not left abandoned in the abyss of dark isolation. What I’m saying is, may my reflections jump start in you the goal of some creative endeavor of your own. Break forth with jubilant responses that give rise to what stirs within you! Make, do, or be something that did not previously exist.