December 2023-Ornament Marbling of Lament Prayer

 


Supplies:  Empty plastic ornaments from a craft store, craft paint and or marbling craft plain available from a craft store or any extra you have, newspaper for dripping paint.

Welcome to The Maker’s Space!  You have set aside this time to meet with your Maker and do something creative together!  Our God is such a creative God and is so full of joy at the presence of you and your attention and focus on Him.   Come and try to leave your burdens with Him for a while so that you can find rest, peace and hear how much He delights in you. Let’s ponder the awesome mystery of a Love that knew us before we were born and will follow us beyond the grave.


We are going to start with a short meditation to help us shift our focus off of ourselves and on to God.  Listen, and then we will do a time of focused breathing to help us get out of our left brain control mode and into a right brain creative mode.  Deep focused breathing slows down a racing heart and helps kick in creative thinking, just as doing a new art form that you might never have done before.  It is always good to try new things to spur on creative thinking.  Modern man as lost the art of the practice of being still in God’s presence where all of creativity begins.  Not only can we hear from Him, but we can actually begin to feel Love itself where everything begins.  Begin by deep, slow breathing as you listen to the following:


“This is the day that I have made! As you rejoice in this day of life, it will yield up to you precious gifts and beneficial training. Walk with Me along the high road of thanksgiving, and you will find all the delights I have made ready for you.


To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely. A constant focus on adversity defeats many Christians. They walk through a day that is brimming with beauty and brightness, seeing only the grayness of their thoughts. Neglecting the practice of giving thanks has darkened their minds. How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with Joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them. Rejoice in this day that I have made, for I am your steadfast Companion.”—

Jesus Calling 11/26



This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. —PSALM 118:24

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. —PSALM 116:17



You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. —PSALM 118:28


Inhale:  You are my God    Exhale: and I will give you thanks;

Inhale:  You are my God    Exhale: and I will exalt you.   Psalm 118:28


Our creative medium today is the ancient art of marbling, which was done on paper or any surface.  We are going to think about some of the burdens or things that may be keeping us from a thankful, joyful heart and name them by color.  Think of three things that you wish were different, or are lamenting to God about that you wish would be changed and assign each one a color. Do one color at a time and let it be slow art as you allow it to run down the sides of the empty ornament.  Add the paint in small amounts.  When you are satisfied with the coverage of one color, choose the next, perhaps a color combination you have never used before.  It is good to have a choice of all different color combinations. The colors will run around each other.  When you have taken time to let the colors swirl into each other, let them drip out of the hole.  The ornament will continue to change as it dries.  Do several.  The more you try, the more you get the hang of it. All attempts at life are beautiful and unexpected.  


God can turn all of our laments into something beautiful, even if He doesn’t take them away or make them different.  The change comes within us, that we can find joy even in the midst of sorrow.  We also have the hope of transformation in the future, that only He can transform our sorrows or longings into a sacrifice of something beautiful, like our ornament.  Each ornament can be a reminder of his transformative beauty in a dark and evil world. That is what Christmas is all about:  the Light has come into the darkness to transform the world into the original beauty it was once intended to be. Even the blank spaces, where the paint doesn’t go, reminds us of God’s plans for us which we do not know yet.  How we wish we could figure everything out and have a road map of our life.  We don’t know the future, but we know and can trust the One who does. If we choose to trust God with the pathway of our life, our lives can be a beautiful ornament on the Tree of LIfe!




















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