Work in Progress

I have been working on a poem for a couple of days.  This was the first I had written creatively in months so I was surprised to find the words and phrases flowing freely.  I wrote quickly before they could elude me, and at the end, was quite impressed that I had captured on paper what I thought was a finished work.  Then I read the poem.  It was boring.  So I tweaked it.  Then I tweaked it some more.  

For two days now I have been tweaking, and striving to perfect something that came at first spontaneously.  Today, I questioned myself, "Is this just the creative process, or are you over-analyzing?"  I thought about it for a few minutes and came to no conclusion.   I needed some coffee!

Later when I was in the shower--what a great place for thoughts to flow--I remembered something an artist friend shared with me.  She said her paintings are like children; they are always changing and forever growing.  My friend is a wise woman.  It came to me then, we humans are much like art, each of us a work in progress, a creative flow, not yet complete, but forever being conformed to the original dream of our Creator. 
 
Thankfully we were conceived in the mind of the Artist before his work began, and someday He plans to complete us.  But in the mean time, as we look at each other, especially ourselves, let us not expect perfection, but instead, search for what God sees as beautiful.  

We who are alive in spirit will live forever, not limited by time or human frailty.  But while we are here today may we learn to give grace to all--to just be--knowing that we are changing from one level of glory to another.   Selah.

Photo Credit: flickr - Cameraman Phil