Precious to Me

Acrylic and Mixed Media on canvas board / no frame

Scripture: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” – Psalm‬ ‭139:17-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Each December, for the last 3 years, I have carved out time during the final month of the year to pause, pray, and listen for the Lord to give me a “word” for the coming new year.  A word that would allow me to give Him the Glory as I carry out the meaning of the word in the new year of daily living. 

My word for 2020 was SELF-CARE and it could not have been a more appropriate consultation for the year we had. I believe with all my heart that God cared for every part of my mind, body, and spirit this past year. It was a hard year for me (as it was for many). I did my part (the self part), but God carried me a majority of the way. Never has a word and its meaning been so precious to me and I was blessed beyond measure for His goodness!

My new word for 2021 is RELATIONSHIPS. This word is interesting to me because it stretches me at my very core as an introvert and an Enneagram 5.  Relationships beyond my immediate family remain very difficult for me. I love interacting with others in short sprints, but I just find it exhausting.  I have been overwhelmed by how God has called me (in all my reading and conversations this past month) to embrace this word and its power for me in this new year. 

Recently, I was commissioned to create the painting you are seeing in this post.  When I asked the buyer for a scripture for inspiration, I was given these two verses Psalms. 

In this psalm, King David treasures the fact that God thinks about him often with deep and immeasurable thoughts. It is true, otherwise God would not have sent His only son, Jesus to die on the cross for all of us.  As I was considering this verse, this painting and my new word RELATIONSHIPS, these thoughts came to mind as I was painting: 

3. Relationships require awareness. I will need to see others as God sees me, as someone special, unique, complete, and whole (circle in painting). 
4. Relationships require initiative. I will need to reach out to others with purpose and thought (L in the painting is a symbol of spiritual beginnings and purpose).
5. Relationships require authenticity. I will need to show both the good and bad side of myself. God continues to mold and shape me into His image. I have lasting beauty that God created, but I also have scars and imperfections that my sin reveals – which is my true self showing through (beauty, scars and imperfections are all revealed in the painting). 

My prayer is to live these all out in my RELATIONSHIPS in 2021! 

Do you have a word you want to live out in 2021? I would love for you to share it.