Chicken Little

I label my friends. I give them labels based on what they do or a characteristic they have. I use this when I introduce friends to each other. So I have my vegetarian-friend-Christi,  Jodi-who-runs-with-me, Jon-my-Yuma-farmer, and so on. There are my book club ladies, my Bible study ladies and my Graham boys. The Graham boys are a little misleading as they between the ages of 25-40 with the exception of three who are in their mid 50's or 60's. It helps keep my stories straight. But I want to share what my Artist-friend-Beth did on Friday. She gave me one of her pieces of work. 

I love her work because she is so talented but also because she uses the gifts that God has given her to share her story and what is going on in her life. If you are her friend and you go to an art opening you can see her joys, pains, trials and victories there in her work. It's amazing. I can doodle and I can paint a wall but what comes out of her is awe inspiring! She also uses her talent to help others. She brings people in to make bowls for the Empty Bowls event and then will do a mug sale to benefit another organization. You can read her blog and see some of her work here.

When I met her just over 5 years ago at church I just new that she was from El Paso, had two kids and a husband, loved Jesus and was an artist. I went to her studio during a tour and fell in love with her work. She had mugs, vases, bowls and some of her other art available. There was a piece she had that I fell in love with. It was called "Sometimes I am Chicken Little." It spoke to me. It was as if God was saying through her work,  "Why do you freak out and worry and be anxious when I am in control?" Over the past several years, the versus about giving it over to God and not being anxious or worrying keep coming back to me. It will always be a process to give it over to Him and each time I would visit her studio over the years that artwork would remind me to remember that someone bigger than me who can see everything is in control and that I just need to take each day as it comes and find the joy and the beauty in it. 

On Friday, she left a note on my Facebook page saying she had something for me. She posted a picture of the piece. It made my day, week and month. I've always said that I would own Beth Shook art. It took 40 years for Israelites to get it together to enter the Promised Land. I turn 40 this year so maybe there is hope for me in trusting God with the small and the big and easy and the hard. 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10