Map Of the World

Her creativity amazes me.
She can look at something and instead of replicating it; she can make it her own.
It all began with a poster.

Mom, do you think this would be interesting for my dorm room?
My youngest daughter, who will be going off to college this week, wanted my opinion.
The upstairs hallway closet has all of her dorm room things ready to go.

Her things are ready to go.
She is ready to go.
I’m not so sure if I am ready for her to go, but I really don’t have a choice in the matter.

She brought her laptop to me so she could show me her idea.
It was a poster that resembled a watercolor painting.
It was a watercolor painting showing a map of the world.

The poster was very clever and very expensive.
It was less expensive if you chose a smaller size.
The smaller size just seemed to lose something in the shrinking.

It might look nice in a poster frame, I said thinking that would protect it as well.
Why don’t you check out some frame sizes first and see if there is a poster size to match?
She checked but then discovered that the poster would not be delivered in time.

I saw the wheels turning.
I saw that look in her eye.
I knew that she was thinking about how to make this work for her dorm room.

I heard no more about it for a few days.
Then as I passed her room, I saw her busy at work.
What do you think?

I looked and saw canvas covered with burlap that she had bought at a craft store.
She was saving it for a later time and that later time was now as she began her art project.
On top of the burlap was a map of the world drawn on a piece of paper.

I’m going to stencil the world map on this burlap.
I looked down and noticed that the map of the world was divided in the middle.
Each section of the map was on its own piece of canvas.

The other canvases will have the verse on it, she said without elaborating.
It was extremely clever; and though I am partial, it was far better than the poster.
It was her idea and her design.

As I looked at the map and realized she said “stencil,” I was confused.
How are you going to stencil with a paper map?
I’m going to cut it out and make my own stencil.

That made perfect sense to her, but I looked at all the islands and inlets.
How was she ever going to cut around islands so small without ripping the paper?
I bought an exacto knife at the craft store, she said showing me her purchase.

She sat at the kitchen table and laboriously cut around the islands and inlets.
I saw the shape of each continent and put my finger down on the area where we live.
Wait and see when it’s all done! she said confidently.

She had this whole picture planned out in her mind.
She saw the completed project.
The adventure was in the creating, from idea to reality.

…and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship….He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen and weavers – all of them master craftsmen and designers.
(Exodus 35: 31-33,35)

Only God can create ex nihilo, out of nothing.
Anything we create is always out of something.
Anything we create is possible only because the Spirit of God enables us.

We are made in God’s image, in God’s likeness.
God has breathed the Breath of Life into us.
He has given each of us unique gifts.

Gifts that we are to use to make Him known.
Creative things, unique things, such as art, or writing, or music, or dance.
Ways that we take the simplest thing and bring His breath into it.

Even if you are not an artist, even if you think you are not the least bit creative, you are.
Your unique fingerprint comes with a skill set that will point directly to Him.
It is not a matter of being a museum quality piece.

It is a matter of being a gallery for the display of His Glory.
Worship Him with your talents.
Give back to Him the gifts He gave to you.

My daughter’s stenciled map is lovely.
She has yet to put the verse on another canvas of burlap.
She has chosen the verse, however.

I want the verse to be about going into the world with the Gospel.
I thought for sure it would be Matthew 28: 18-20, the Great Commission.
I was wrong.

She chose another verse.
It is a verse that spoke to her heart.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

A simple burlap canvas.
Evangelism in an art project that will hang in a dorm room.
Here am I. Send me.

2 responses to “Map Of the World”

1. Gina, this really spoke to me! And not just as one creative spirit to two others, but of how your daughter is so grounded in her faith and wants to show this in her new room and elsewhere on campus. God bless her as she starts this new part of her life, and God bless you as you enter the “empty nest” part of yours. I know God will be with all of your family!

   Sue

   Reply

   • Thank you, Sue. I was deeply moved by the piece of art that she created. She is ready and HE is with her every step of the way.
     Gina

     Reply