Today I participated in my first group art session. I remember seeing pictures of others participating in these classes while living abroad the last few years and wanting to try it for myself! The painting for today happened to be my absolute favorite type of art: impressionism. I myself have never before attempted this style, or really any style 😉 , but I so thoroughly enjoyed painting through another’s eyes. It was absolutely delightful.
Kindness is one of the most powerful tools in God’s kingdom. It has the ability to pierce even the darkest places with bright light and cross any cultural or language barrier. It is the tangible manifestation of love. If any other expression of love is given to you, but this is one thing is withheld, do you believe it?
My only regrets in life are when some inner judgement of another or an offense by them has caused me to justifiably (so I thought) withhold kindness from someone or some group of people. And continually I am humbled and shown God’s love for those very people and again my heart humbles itself to agree with heaven towards them.
Random acts of kindness towards strangers are beautiful and powerful, but what about also choosing to be kind even when we are being yelled at by someone we love, or have been misjudged by friends, or are being shunned by those closest to our hearts? What if we never forsook kindness in our marriages? Or our parenting?
Kindness is the only thing that matters. This is what lingers with people, this is what hearts recognize from eternity when they experience it. Sometimes kind people are also not given a lot of recognition. For instance, cold and aloof people appear can appear more powerful or popular. Sometimes kind people don’t demand or command attention. But these people, the kind ones, are the wealthiest people on the planet. They posses a self-love that is genuine and therefore have an undiminished supply of love to share, whether others appreciate it or not, or whether it is reciprocated or not.
True kindness is never earned. Kindness is only kindness when it is unconditional. It especially shines the brightest when the recipient of it is underserving. These moments are our greatest opportunities in life to shine. You possess something that changes lives. You possess something humans were made to experience daily and that heaven never forsakes.
Never let kindness leave you… proverbs 3:3
Some of the most encouraging instances in my life were when I was hard on myself and someone, despite myself being unpleasant, was relentlessly kind to me causing me to dare to believe again that I was worthy of the love they were showing me. True kindness, I believe, is one of the most attractive features of any human being. It exudes inner peace, confidence, and grace, whose impact is often beyond description.
Choose to be kind today. Any arguments of reason in our minds placing ourselves in a position of withholding kindness from someone are false and we are compromising our own inner dignity and strength when we do this. Choose kindness while you still can, you will not regret it. It is the very nature of the king of this kingdom. This is the very expression of himself. Jesus, the Kind One. Where you find kindness, there you have found him.
You can check out my latest finished painting piece here!
Etsy.com
He keeps turning my eye here. I try to focus on other things in this world or his kingdom and he keeps pointing me to this thing called happiness, this thing called Joy. Perhaps the wide road is the one of worry, fear, anxiety and frustration and the narrow road of heaven we’re actually invited to traverse upon could just be the road of trust, peace, contentment, love, rest and joy.
Joy somehow sparkles with glory and a supernatural existence; it is a gift of heaven without limit and often overlooked. Joy has a lowly state. It is often seen as ignorance or immaturity. Serious, urgent things are looked upon with esteem and great importance. But Joy is not news. It is not urgent. It does not fight for power. Joy is meek and unassuming. It is persistent and unexpected, playful and a welcomed guest.
There are things we must chose to not give attention to in order to participate in Joy. We must look away from the fears of our own condition and any worries ahead. We must turn away from decisions gone awry behind us. Joy requires us, or allures us rather to be entirely present once again. We must let go of performance in it’s company. It is participation with someone wholly other than ourselves. A different source from which this magical river flows; Jesus’ side.
It is God’s expressed desire for our Joy to be full, not finding lack in our experience of this wonderful gift of heaven. But the realist would ask, what is Joy’s purpose? How is it productive or long lasting? Joy is a fruit to be enjoyed, not to be made into a gadget for a machine to use. It’s expression is as purposeful as the beauty of a flower. It is meant to be enjoyed.
The treasure map to finding joy is clearly shown in scripture. Psalm 16 says the fullness of Joy is found in God’s presence. Everlasting pleasure is found at his right hand. Not on this earth or in a thing or an activity or a person, but in God’s company. His nearness, his friendship. Where can you find his will for your emotions? In the goodness, safety, commitment and gladness of himself!
So many things can happen in life that deter our hearts from this child-like track. Perceived failures, tragic losses, disappointed expectations, and hurtful betrayal are just to name a few. The eternal part of joy is that we don’t derive it from what we see around us, what people are saying, or doing. We derive it from his presence within us. It is truly powerful and absolutely unassailable. Nothing has truly threatened or will ever be able to take away this gift of Joy that has been given to us through Christ Jesus. He has overcome everything that claims to have overcome his presence in your walk with him in this life. His Joy is yours. His Joy is mine. And it endures.
happyreign 