Jan 16 Daily Devotional

January 16: Seek Perspective

• Scripture: Isaiah 55:8-9 —
  For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
  nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
  For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
  so are my ways higher than your ways
  and my thoughts than your thoughts.
• Reflection: God’s wisdom is beyond ours. We are asked to fall into the mystery of a greater pattern than we can perceive, and yet to trust that we have a role to play, and meaning to make, that alters and enhances the pattern. At our best, we experience glimpses of connection, when the eternal emerges through the ephemeral, when the transcendant touches the mundane.
  Artists in many cutlures will intentionally introduce imperfections, to contrast their own handiwork with the perfection of God’s creation. Yet a person’s ability to create and imagine is a direct reflection on a loving, abundant God. Researcher Austin Kleon shares, “Navajos also believe that only God is perfect and that humans cannot achieve the same perfect level. So they make sure to leave little imperfection in anything they create. Usually, one has to look very close to find the imperfection, so it does not detract from the beauty of the item. It might be a loose piece of yarn, or a different colored bead.”  (full article: https://austinkleon.com/2022/12/02/the-art-of-imperfection/).
• Prompt: Spend the day noticing. Witness the world around you. See with new eyes. What do you notice in the world that astonishes you, that you cannot explain? What moment catches your breath?
  In prayer, name an area in your life where you feel too close to see the big picture. A place where you feel stuck. Invite God’s perspective. Ask for the ability to step back and gain some understanding.
  Alternately, sketch or draw your prayer. What do you see when you put it onto a canvas?