Day One: A New Identity

Because a forty-ninth birthday seems like the perfect time to rewrite my story--or at least turn the page and scribble boldly, Section II: A New Adventure Begins. Not that Section I should be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Those years of defining self, finding God, conceiving purpose; that’s ink well-spent. But now, the days have become crowded with responsibilities, and daily tasks have sunk to mere obligations rather than opportunities. It’s time to turn the page.

So, my challenge now is to live an artful life in the dailies. What does this mean?

I am inviting the Creator to instill in me His Creative Spirit. I am embarking on a journey to rediscover the childlike joy of exploring life, beauty, and art in the moments of living. I am making a covenant to lift my eyes from task-completion to delighting in the processes and to suck deep the marrow of life from each small moment.

My daughter loves making infused drinks: Strawberries that have soaked in a tall glass of lemonade, turning the tart liquid into a pink sort of ambrosia. I will follow her example.

 

I will infuse my day with the colors, sounds, and living creatures decorating God’s earth and allow them to fill my mind, my heart, my soul so they turn my tart tasks into a sort of rose-colored sweetness that spills out in word and paint on the canvas of today…the first day of The New Adventure.

“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24