I went to prison for the first time THIS year. I tend to find myself in and out of prisons, but this was the first time of the New Year. I was ushered to the back room with my team of One Heart volunteers where we met 6 youthful offenders. We were there to spend 4 hours with our hands in paint with them. I usually begin art camps with free form drawing. They can draw anything except gang related items and it has to be appropriate. This allows me to assess where their hearts are and to see if there is any artistic talent in the room. Usually there are always one or two gifted artists. "Jose" (Not his real name) was not one of the gifted artists. He was moderate, but not gifted like the boy next to him who was a "tagger"(graffiti artist). However, it wasn't his gift that drew me to him. It was his heart.
It was a heart at war. Death vs. Life.
Picture a 16"x20" blank canvas.
“Jose” used a black leaded pencil to draw an evil looking skeleton head smack dab in the center.
Out of the heart art flows, but so do dreams.
This is the same boy who told me he wants to have a car shop when he gets old enough. He wants a place for single moms to bring their cars to get fixed at a cheap rate because they need a lot of help and they don't have much money.
Death vs. life all wrapped up in a juvenile offender.
I was able to redirect his drawing by telling him that the skeleton symbolized death and he has a choice to continually keep his thoughts on death or he can choose to think about things that bring forth life.
So he covered it up with a drawing of a cross.
Interesting choice.
We were then able to talk about how religion leads to death and relationship with Jesus leads to life.
Not sure he got it.
So we progressed to pouring paint all over his canvas and spraying it with water all the while talking about Jesus being The Living Water.
Not sure he got it.
By the end of the camp he had the messiest, wettest, jumble of paint on his canvas.
It was a beautiful mess.
Life is messy.
"There's a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
I'm praying for "Jose" that he chooses the way that will lead to life. Abundant life.
He left camp filled with joy. He loved his painting. He loved more the Scripture I highlighted for him in a Bible I gave him. I don't think he had ever heard that God had a plan for his life. This is what I read to him:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, AND WILL BRING YOU BACK FROM CAPTIVITY." Jeremiah 29:11-14
“Jose” longs to be brought back from captivity. You could see the hunger in his eyes.
I don’t know what will happen to “Jose.”
I do know that in his heart rages a turf war. Death vs. life is continually before him.
I’m praying that somehow spraying water on his canvas will lead him to accept The One who is The Way, The Truth and The life.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Highway of Freedom
Landscapes are a funny thing. They can change depending upon time of day or season. They are altered as you move upon them or what is placed upon them. Landscapes can be painted, photographed, or imprinted upon our memories forever.
Not too far away construction crews are working tirelessly to transform traffic patterns to make it easier on morning and afternoon commutes. The landscape has been transformed to where I do not recognize a thing.
I feel the same way about entering into the landscape of 2012. My landscape is changing. God is creating opportunity. He's opening doors and inviting me to walk through them to go play in the meadow of His world. However, something tries to keep my feet planted in a landscape that looks and feels comfortable.
I have found that the biggest barrier to embracing new opportunities has been fear. Not just fear of the unknown, but fear of others thoughts towards me, or fear of my own motives. The common thread is that its fear based on a highway of lies.
For example, God revealed that the passenger in my car was impure motives. I believed my motives were always bad. I drove every where with that passenger. I didn't even know he was in my car until I asked God to show me wounds that defeated me. Somewhere I had picked up this hitchhiker. I had actually changed seats with him and given him the authority to drive my life. Not only that, somewhere I began to believe that God had impure motives. That's when I stopped the car and threw that lying hitch hiker out. I confessed to God that I had believed a lie about HIM. I asked for forgiveness. HE immediately comforted me. He spoke tenderly to me and said, "Anne, your motives are not bad either." THAT was the beginning of major road repair!
As I have faced the lies and replaced it with truth miraculously my landscape has changed. I've driven far away from living as if my motives are filth. HE has cleansed them! HE has put a new spirit in me! As I've been transformed I find I am able to welcome new opportunities. It's actually exciting to enter a new highway.
How about you? Do you walk in a roundabout of defeat? Ask God to show you if you’ve picked up any hitch hikers along your way. You may be surprised what you find in your trunk. God has places He wants to take you but you may be listening to the lies in your passenger seat. Or perhaps, like me, you crawled up into the back seat to take a nap while a stranger drove you to places not on Gods road map. It’s time to wake up and kick that bad boy out to the curb. There’s a city ahead with your name on it! It’s called Freedom!
Not too far away construction crews are working tirelessly to transform traffic patterns to make it easier on morning and afternoon commutes. The landscape has been transformed to where I do not recognize a thing.
I feel the same way about entering into the landscape of 2012. My landscape is changing. God is creating opportunity. He's opening doors and inviting me to walk through them to go play in the meadow of His world. However, something tries to keep my feet planted in a landscape that looks and feels comfortable.
I have found that the biggest barrier to embracing new opportunities has been fear. Not just fear of the unknown, but fear of others thoughts towards me, or fear of my own motives. The common thread is that its fear based on a highway of lies.
For example, God revealed that the passenger in my car was impure motives. I believed my motives were always bad. I drove every where with that passenger. I didn't even know he was in my car until I asked God to show me wounds that defeated me. Somewhere I had picked up this hitchhiker. I had actually changed seats with him and given him the authority to drive my life. Not only that, somewhere I began to believe that God had impure motives. That's when I stopped the car and threw that lying hitch hiker out. I confessed to God that I had believed a lie about HIM. I asked for forgiveness. HE immediately comforted me. He spoke tenderly to me and said, "Anne, your motives are not bad either." THAT was the beginning of major road repair!
As I have faced the lies and replaced it with truth miraculously my landscape has changed. I've driven far away from living as if my motives are filth. HE has cleansed them! HE has put a new spirit in me! As I've been transformed I find I am able to welcome new opportunities. It's actually exciting to enter a new highway.
How about you? Do you walk in a roundabout of defeat? Ask God to show you if you’ve picked up any hitch hikers along your way. You may be surprised what you find in your trunk. God has places He wants to take you but you may be listening to the lies in your passenger seat. Or perhaps, like me, you crawled up into the back seat to take a nap while a stranger drove you to places not on Gods road map. It’s time to wake up and kick that bad boy out to the curb. There’s a city ahead with your name on it! It’s called Freedom!
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