The surgeon general does not approve of this picture. Taking pictures while you drive is dangerous to your health and the well-being of those around you. Phew! Now that is clear (because thinking people don't know that already :) -- I took this picture because there was a rainbow. Not just the tiny blur of rainbow visible in the middle of the photo, but an arrestingly beautiful bow. The problem was the camera lens couldn't see it. And it reminded me how often we are confident that we see the whole picture, accurately -- but we don't. Every time we study God's word, worship His majesty, and express our opinions, it is crucial to remember how limited our understanding truly is. My camera thought it captured everything and as far as everyone who didn't see the rainbow knows, it did. Afterall, it was mostly right. There was a speed limit sign, and an 18-wheeler in front of me -- the sun was really shining. But as the distracted driver of the car, risking her life to take this picture, I can categorically say: The camera didn't see all of reality and failed to capture what was truly important. Unlike God, whose vision is always perfect, our perspective is more like my camera -- focused on getting a great shot of a speed limit sign while distorting the focal point. In general, designers are self-centered. They care only how their creations look, not how they look on real people. Who cares if this cut makes most of the female population look like a beach ball on legs or if that pattern draws everyone's attention to the wrong spots? Isn't it gorgeous to look at on this faceless manakin? God, on the other hand, always designs with a face in mind. In infinite love and wisdom, He looks at our broken world housing our broken lives and begins His creative work. He knows our greatest need is Himself, and He is able to use every circumstance to conform us to the image of Christ – which is the most flattering look for all mankind. That is how God can promise and keep Romans 8:28. Whether He convicts or corrects or comforts, our best is to be like Jesus. To that end, He gives and He takes away. He says no, and wait and stay and go, from His perfect, all-knowing, infinite love. That is His motive. The question is: What motive are we mentally assigning to God? Creativity in fashion (think the red carpet and catwalks) like art and life, can be startlingly hideous, but rarely is it strikingly lovely. And ironically, neither is it unique. Someone somewhere has done that before. Inspiration came from something, nature or history or another designer.
In other words, our creativity comes from somewhere. This is demonstrated by our inability to conceive new colors. We can mix colors from existing colors and produce a shade or hue we desire. But the capability to create entirely new color is impossible to comprehend (not to mention see since our eyes are only see a certain spectrum). God does not have this issue. His creativity comes from Himself. His perfection. His goodness. His boundless mind and capacity. He created the colors and the eyes that sees them as a mere taste of His all-powerful creativity. The question is: Do we recognize and submit to His creative power? I came close to laughing out loud in store this week. They were selling bell-bottom pants, that looked like they could have come from both my childhood and my mother’s childhood. It is a well-known fact that in fashion, if you just wait long enough, that skirt or that shirt will be trendy again.
What’s old really will be new, because, though they would be insulted by this statement: Designers have limited creativity, as a necessary reflection of their finiteness. Their brains have limited capacity, experience, and ability. Thus, every 20 years, like clockwork, they rework, repurpose and recycle their ideas, and we can buy bell-bottoms again. God’s creativity however is unlimited, as a necessary reflection of His infinity. He is perfect in capacity, experience, and ability. He is never stumped and forced to use the same idea or concept twice – unless He wants to. He never has to give anyone the same gifts or circumstances or personality or skills. He always looks at the drawing board of our lives with perfect knowledge and insight ready to do a new thing. The question is: Have we joined Him in what He is doing? |
The AuthorCome with me as we grow in fellowship with each other and our Savior to whom belongs the Amazing Escape from sin and death and the Amazing Journey into glorious life. Archives
October 2024
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