Creators! Let's Create!

I went to church with my grandsons on Sunday. This was the first time the church was fully opened since the pandemic began. Opened, with the exception of limited seating that was maxed out and distanced. What amused me the most was when we walked up to the front doors, tables were set up outside with these bowls of wrist bands on them. Each color had a specific meaning for each one's social desires: Red = “So glad to be here, but please keep a safe distance”; Yellow = “Ready to chat but prefer not touch”; Green = “Ready for hugs & handshakes”. I’m sure introverts loved the red ones; the non-huggers, the yellow ones; and, the social butterflies, the green ones.

I liked that creativity. I also appreciated the thoughtful way the rows of chairs were spaced a good distance apart with two seats between families. Creativity seems to have been a major plus during these times. Sometimes a crisis becomes a strong driver of creativity and innovation. We’ve witnessed it on many levels – families who became creative within their family dynamics – more outdoors activities, indoor games, creative projects and creativity and innovation at national, state and in educational levels here at the start of another school year.

Anyone who spends time on social media has probably noticed that hidden between the political rants and Covid fears are more interesting posts sharing someone’s latest craft-work, recipe, a talent being shown off, or a Facebook Live inspirational talk or some other kind of hilarious situation – many of which have gone viral. Most represent small, but important moments of creativity. I’ve seen many of my friends completing jigsaw puzzles. One couple was so creative that the 1,000-piece puzzles became an opportunity. When they placed a piece, they would offer up a prayer. 1,000 pieces meant 1,000 prayers.

The examples of everyday imagination we see on our timeline may not strike us as creative-with-a-capital-C. Clever family photos, meme creations, or Zoom singalongs may not be the best-of-talents, but we can’t let comparison diminish their value. If creativity is a light, it does not have an on/off switch. My view is that creativity has a dimmer switch, growing from a tiny bit creative to a little creative to creative enough to light up the whole room. I’ve seen that in the way my own family has come up with creative work spaces for school projects and backgrounds for videos.

The truth is we are ALL creators because we were made in the image of OUR Creator. Erwin McManus says: "Creativity should be an everyday experience -- as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create.” And on another level of creativity is everyday we have the opportunity to not only create beauty in others by the way we speak to them, but we have the opportunity to create environments conducive to turning darkness to light, animosity to tenderness and kindness, hatred to love and sadness to joy!

So, CREATORS!!! Let’s CREATE!!! Let’s get our “creative” juices flowing and start creating beauty and life with OUR words AND actions! Wouldn’t it be great if we could look at OUR creations, and, like God, say, “It is very good!” (Genesis 1:31)

My Crepe Myrtles had a Baby

One of the side-blessings of my Frisco home, was the lawn that had been professionally landscaped with rock and stone edgings, perennials, a variety of trees, bushes and nine orchid-flowered crepe myrtles.

I've always loved summer's colorful crepe myrtles that seem to abound in Oklahoma and Texas. It’s a hearty tree despite the major pruning they get in the fall. Just bald stubs are left. But once winter passes, little sprouts abound with beautiful foliage. While I’m not crazy about the maintenance of the myrtles throughout the summer (i.e., the twigs that grow from ground up or the tree spiders that spin their webs in them), I'm grateful for their color. Routinely, I snip the little saplings that pop up, but this year, I noticed a perfect little baby crepe myrtle had strategically located itself between the mama and papa trees. I let it grow and, as you can see, it's already a teenager!

I’ve always loved trees. Period. I especially love my front yard's two large oak trees -- their look, their shade, the sound of wind in their leaves, and the colors they show off in the fall.

The Bible has many references to trees. I’m convinced that trees were one of God’s special projects when He created them. In the beginning, in Genesis, God created trees. In Psalm 1, we find out that if we delight and meditate on God's Word, then we'll be like a tree planted by water that yields fruit and whatever we do will prosper. And, the last page of the Bible, Revelation 22:2, we hear about the tree of life's leaves that are for the healing of the nations.” (Oh, Lord, let the tree of life spring up so that our nations are healed!) In Proverbs 3:18, we read that wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her and happy are those who hold her tightly. And, I like to think that when I raise my arms heavenward to praise God, I'm taking after the tree's limbs that reach heavenward to praise God, too!

Country singer, Barbara Mandrell, sang, “He grew the tree that He knew would be used to make the old rugged cross.” The song brought out, that even at creation God was planning our redemption. That song could not be any truer. Oh how I love the tree that gave us the cross where our Savior hung and died for you and me. I like to think that from that very tree, many trees have been birthed from you and me. How wonderful to share about the “tree” of our Savior to help others understand the price Jesus paid for us. We are the little saplings that grow from that "tree" and produce beautiful fruit that entice others to know our Lord."

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls." Proverbs 11:30