When Inspiration Is Staring You In The Face

I am participating in an amazing writing critique group that is helping me to work through the process of writing my memoir. Through expert observations, it became obvious that I had lost the essence of the story I wanted to convey. I couldn’t figure out how to get the story back on track. Then one day, as I was sitting in my living room, I looked over at a painting I did during a Christian art prayer/therapy session (Art Sozo) in August.
The title of the painting is “My Fingerprints.” The painting was done in layers. The first layer was a depiction of a lie I was believing about God at that time: that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t help me write the memoir. I depicted this on the canvas as a bunch of little black lines, that looked like words on a page. It was stark and rather depressing.
As I continued to paint, layer upon layer, on this painting, I worked through some internal issues. I needed to forgive myself and forgive others who had helped me to buy into the lie I was living out. I was also reminded that my God is loving and cheerful, wanting the best for me.
By the time I got to the fourth layer, I began to see that there was a specific message for me in the painting that I would have never guessed at the beginning of the exercise: that God sees me as a person with a big heart. Though my heart is frayed from some tumultuous situations I’ve been in, I still have the capacity to give and receive love.
I thought at that point that I was done with the painting, but no. In the next stage I was directed to ask God if there was anything else He wanted us to know. I waited for inspiration… then felt compelled to stick my finger in the red paint and started putting red fingerprints all over the painting. When it was done, I felt that God had just shown me that His fingerprints were all over my heart. Even the situations in my life that I felt were horrific have turned into something beautiful, because He redefined them with the touch of His hand, bringing clarity and meaning.
So, what does this story about a painting have to do with my memoir and my critique group? The working title of my book had been “Mad At The Wrong Mom,” which set a tone of anger and bitterness that was turning off my readers. Since that is not really who I am or what I want my message to be, something had to shift. The painting reminded me that every situation I’ve been in has helped me to grow and become a person with insight and love through the touch of God’s hand. The lessons I’ve learned as a result of these experiences are what I want to share through a compelling story of putting one foot in front of the other and trusting God to make it all work out. Therefore, I am changing my working title to “My Fingerprints.” It will be the story of a heart that is battered through tough experiences, but can still touch others with hope and courage to press on.
When I ask God for something, I never know where exactly where the answer will come from, but I’ve gotten into the habit of looking around. You never know, the answer maybe sitting right in front of you the whole time – and you, like me, just need your lenses cleaned to see it. Are you looking around for your answers to prayer?