What I Need

Grandma'sBoxofPastels

en·chant
inˈCHant,enˈCHant/
verb
(1)fill (someone) with great delight; charm.

synonyms: captivate, charm, delight, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, beguile, bewitch, spellbind, fascinate, hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet, grip, transfix…

(2)put (someone or something) under a spell.

I find myself all too often under an enchantment I do not like. The realization of it comes after many days of living under its spell. I am growing in my ability to recognize the signs and symptoms of this dis-enchantment, but goodness me how subtle yet gripping this type of wicked enchantment can be! Once I recognize it, I know that the only way to undo the spell is to be enchanted by an altogether different tune.

PastelPixieDust

This is when I pick up my pen and draw. I slip pastels into my holster and stuff paintbrushes into my quiver. This is when I do battle with the enchantments of fear, worry and the underlying belief that it is all up to me by lassoing the beauty around me with lines from my pen, swiping the dust of everyday living away with pastel pixie dust, and painting a new story, the real one, so that I can live there, in the real world. There’s something that wants me to believe this world is all there is. I need a stronger enchantment to fortify what I know to be true:

There is so much more than what meets the eye! But it is in seeing our lives for what they  are, being present and grateful IN THEM, and looking THROUGH and BEYOND them, that we will know the true reality of life.  

This hymn has been playing in my head the last day or two. It DIS-enchants the spell of nose-to-the-grindstone living. The words weave through my moments reminding me that this truly is my Father’s world where He rules, though so much threatens to undo it.

PastelPlay

Today, I’m wielding my pen and pastels, charcoal and paints, allowing the enchantment of art to work its magic in my heart and remind me of what is True.

I hope you can spend some time doing this too!

*********

*In the first pic up there, you see my small pastel box. I have a much larger one I pull out for large scale paintings. But this one was a gift from my grandmother many many years ago when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. It has since been refilled with different pastels, but I love it as it reminds me of my artist grandmother Thelma who not only painted with pastels, but also knitted beautiful things.

3 thoughts on “What I Need

  1. Timaree says:

    I would say I also fall under the spell of dis-enchantment which I usually deem as depression yet reading your post I realize it’s not really that but what you describe more. I know the world is full of wonder and good things along with the bad that sometimes threatens to overwhelm. It sure takes over the Facebook world and political world which I try to counter at times but it seems people like to wallow and you can’t help them so I can only do for myself. I did that this January by starting my temperature afghan (although I am thinking of also doing that ripple you shared with me right alongside as it’s hard to do just one row a day!) and this week by buying your newish book! (I also bought Genevieve’s Kite for a new great-nephew who was born just before Christmas). I think color, color and more color help keep me seeing the wonder’s of God’s world but I need to get back to drawing too and express some gratitude as that is a great weapon too! Happy day to you. Thanks for the uplifting post!

Leave a Reply to Timaree Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *