Feather Dusting

I'm working this afternoon in my art studio to write this blog.  I've been distracted by this weaving project that I took on from strips that the kid artists in Wagner made.  It feels unfinished and each time I look at it I feel like something is wrong but I can't quite distinguish what it is.

I was reading from James this week and writing in my journal.  I wrote the words "feather dusting" and was confused as I asked God for clarification secretly praying the message wasn't "clean your house".  Thankfully, it wasn't about cleaning.  Feather dusting is just touching the surface without a lasting effect.

It made me think of the lovely feather duster that I have and how I use it to tidy up and then the next day there is dust again. It reminds me that in 2018 I prayed to see the world through God's eyes, ears, and heart.  I was blessed with that imagery this past year and seriously have cried more tears over this past year.  Instead of praying over people I have petitioned God on their behalf like the protesting peace punk I once was.  Time and time again I feel closer to our Abba Father and sense that he is "on it" or "it is so" with those petitions.  I can honestly say I love to hear "it is so" but "on it" means that I still petition until I hear "it is so".

This week with the thoughts of "feather dusting" I felt the word "atonement" again and again.  Atonement is the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ.  It made me feel that some know Christ but are too lost in their own world, uncertainties, and pain to really know Him.  We've all been there when worldly problems take over our whole thoughts, numbing us to what God is speaking to our hearts, blinding us from seeing others as God's beloveds, and deafen our ears to hear only our concerns or "father dusting".

I feel like that is where I was the first 24-36 hours that I was in Wagner, South Dakota last month. I had blown a tire on the interstate at dusk.  I was personally attacked and bashed on social media for going to Wagner when "you should stay home and find a job to pay your bills". Yeah, instead of seeing Wagner as a great opportunity to shine light, love, and grace I was filled with hurt, angst, and tears.  The next morning I woke up and broke into tears in the shower. Those tears formed into a petition to the Lord and I heard "do you trust me?".

That question continued into the morning until in tears I broke down and answered a half hearted "yes".  I went to check my messages and there were two from friends offering encouragement and telling me to set up a "Go Fund Me". I went to leave the church to get the tires checked and had two people stop me and ask for a ride. Instead, of taking them home I explained that my car wasn't working right and I needed to take it to the local shop to have it looked at.  It was the truth but it felt selfish.  My head said "your tires are a mess and might shred so ignore the ask". Instead of seeing through God's eyes I saw through my own and was selfish and told them "no".  I had the tires checked and went for a cup of coffee and when I started the car the heat wouldn't work.  I took the car back to the local shop , made an appointment, and prayed that nothing else would go wrong. 

Back at the church that afternoon my friends showed up to encourage me. God is just that awesome to realize that I was going to "feather dust" my whole time and that I needed some of his beloveds to check in with my personally to rally me.  By the afternoon I could hear "do you trust me?" and when I said "yes" I shouted with my whole heart and soul.

Things broke free by the next day as we had 18 kids come for Open Artroom.  When kids asked for a ride home Dale took them with blankets in the car to keep them warm on their ride.  It hit me that even a Sandymobile with messed up tires and no heat was a blessing not only to us but to those kids and families. In the following days the kid artists kept coming and we took five carloads of kids home in the Sandymobile, had 28-52 kid artists daily, held a "small mall" where I not only got to teach the kids what a mall is but let them shop for themselves and family.  The small mall gifted;  56 pairs of boots, 74 pairs of shoes, two pairs of cleats, football pads, two trash bags filled with flannel shirts, two tubs of mittens, gloves, scarves, along with kids and adult clothing. We were able to set up a "giving tree" at the back of All Tribes Fellowship filled with hats, scarves, gloves, and legwarmers before leaving that will bless the families in Wagner. 

Within less than five days we had the money for the tires and to fix the heat in the Sandymobile. That happened because instead of "feather dusting" I chose to clean.  To clean means to see the world with God's eyes, ears, and heart and be light, love, and grace.  When you clean it takes time, it requires doing things that we don't want or that makes you uncomfortable, but once it is done it just feels better.

I was reminded of "feather dusting" this week and challenged to write a blog about it.  I want to encourage each of you to stop "feather dusting" this year and start to clean.  Cleaning is harder, it makes us have to yell back "I trust you" to God, and to go on to be light, grace, and beauty when you'd rather curl up, surrender, and cry.

Last week I found a ton of kids winter boots at a thrift shop for fifty cents a piece.  I thought, "geez, why couldn't I have found these before Wagner".  I could have chosen to "feather dust" and walk away crabby. But I realized that my friend that lives in Wagner was in KC for the holidays who agreed to take them.  I bought two trash bags filled with kids boots and spent $14 to try to be light to the kids that we left without boots rather than "feather dust".

I mentioned that I couldn't determine what was missing from the weaving so I started to write this blog. My friend in Wagner sent me a message that said "the boots are amazing!!" with a pic of one of our kid artists with his new boots.  It dawned on me hat I had small strips from my latest work "feather dusting" that I trimmed and was going to toss.  I took those small strips from my work and wove them with the kid artists work and the result was beautiful and ready to be framed. 

This afternoon I'm thankful for ; finished artwork, the ability write this blog, to be light, grace, and love, and for friends that are there to rally your spirit & take your trash bags, and for the ability to see beyond "feather dusting".

Peace be with you- Sherry

UPDATES

• The Sandymobile rolled us into KC at 3am on Christmas day. Thanks to each and every that were praying over our trip to Wagner, donated to get repairs made, and prayed for safe travels on our way home.
• I'm looking forward to having kid artists in my studio starting next week for Creation Station kids art classes.  I've got a full schedule of art classes for January posted on the Mamasunbear2 Facebook page.  
• Emily received a full scholarship through Vocational Rehab this week so she can go back to college full time.  She is hoping to go to Northwest Missouri State this coming fall. 
• I'm focusing on my artwork this year.  I'll be adapting my Etsy shop to sell some of my original pieces within the next couple of months and am looking for other avenues to display my work in the KC area.