I said I wasn't going to do it this year...I can't make up my mind; I don't want to confine myself to just one word; I usually forget about it by February anyway; I have too much else to worry about...
...and then it came to me. In the dark of the night (actually the wee hours of the morning, when I tend to wake up anyway, with my mind/heart in gear for the day):
t r u s t
Actually, I have been 'trusting' for a few years now - albeit sporadically and in varying degrees - in two important areas of my life: Faith and Art. (Relax, family and friends...you all are in the Love area, which is inextricably linked to these two.) This year I am really going to focus on it, pray on it, and reflect upon it on a daily basis.
1.
Trust in the Lord
Fear is useless,
what is needed is trust.
Luke 8:50 and Mark 5:36
(paraphrase)
(and a favourite of my Canadian husband's)
"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust," seems to be a pastoral translation, and while it strays a bit from the literal meaning of the underlying Greek, it does seem to speak to men of our time. I know many people that have this particular translation memorized instead of "Fear not, believe only," without actually owning a copy of the St. Joseph Ed. NAB from whence it comes. People hear it, remember it, and take it to heart. I was shocked when my search for 'fear is useless' in the 'Faith Database' came back with nothing in all of its Bible translations. That is what lead me to this discussion forum. I am glad to know which Bible translation it comes from so that I can continue quoting the phrase with a bit more certainty. ~ Carson Parker
detail from the piece
'Faith, Hope & Love'
which I made
a few years ago
And believing that art - whatever form it takes - is my Creative Calling, it goes hand-in-hand with Trust in the Lord. So (note to self)...
2.
Trust the Process
There's been a lot written about the creative process, and I have studied it for many years. At some point, pretty much everyone talks about trusting the process...for good reason. Here are a few of my favorites:
A quick google search netted many hits such as these:
It was actually
Ali Edwards, one of my favorite artists, who first introduced me to the annual One Word concept many years ago. This year I am finally taking her class:
One Little Word Project. I'm hoping -
trusting - that it will help me follow through this year.
