Arise, Shine

“Arise,shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Thank You,God,for guiding me to this Scripture. As soon as i read it i knew it was what i needed to hear. God, You gave me my love of writing, art and other forms of expression and for awhile i really did enjoy writing and drawing whenever and on whatever i could. That was mostly as a child. As i got older i started looking at others and measuring myself against them. After that nothing i ever did was good enough in my eyes. Then fear set in so that even when i wanted to write or draw i wouldn’t because i had convinced myself i couldn’t do it-at least not the way i thought it should be done. Now i look back, all these years later, and i am filled with regret. Because of my regret i find myself trying to force creativity and that is just as bad as stifling it. I also still struggle with my crazy self-expectations. The trash can is filled with art that did not meet those expectations. Notebooks are filled with papers that contain words i have written but won’t share because they don’t sound “right” to me. These words from Isaiah really speak to me today because they remind me it is all it is all about You and not me. You give me what i need to rise and it is Your light that makes me shine. It is for Your glory that i am to write and create. Your hands guide the pen and pencil or whatever medium You desire. You are inspiration! This is what i have forgotten and i thank You, Father, for reminding me. Help me to remember.