I have struggled my whole life with wondering if my gift/desire of making things, crafting and creating was…1. A waste of time; 2. A good example for my family or friends to see me doing in my life; 3. Important in the scheme of things; 4. God honoring.
When I was a young girl, I loved to create. A lot of times, the presents I’d ask for would have to do with making something, such as “Creepy Crawlers” where you pour a substance into a hot mold, and create insects, etc., which is funny, because I absolutely hate bugs, but the creating outranked that fear!
I begged my mom to let me make the Greek Parthenon out of toothpicks – yes, toothpicks for a school project. She really looked at me like I was crazy, and to be fair, she knew she would be helping me. And, we did it, and it absolutely excited me the whole time.
In High School, I taught Sunday School at our church, and would make handcrafts every week for the kiddos. I loved it so much.
Then there was the time as a young woman, wife, mom of two under 2 years old. I felt like I should make every woman in our church a decorative small rocking chair out of clothespins. You could put a votive candle in it, or plant, etc. And, I really had to think about it, because it would be a HUGE undertaking. Well, I did it. It took me about a year, and Ty really wondered what I had gotten myself into during that time, but it was something deep inside of me that I just HAD to do.
And, that is part of it – when I create, a lot of times, it is for someone, or with someone in mind.
When I worked in an office of nurses, I would create posters (using cut out nurses from catalogs that I had saved all year) for Nurses Week. We’d hang them all over the office every year!
Then, there was the time, I took off the whole week of Spring Break, so my daughter and I could make candles. It was so much fun spending extra time with her, and creating something useful. We both used them for gifts throughout the year for others. I remember Ty said when he would come home that week, he would be scared, because we used every container in sight to fill our candle wax with, and he was worried we wouldn’t have anything left! ha!
As a secretary at Ovilla Road Baptist Church, I LOVED making things, creating things, tossing ideas around with the worship leader, Jeff Todd, decorating the two huge bulletin boards in the hall, with different and unique items.
As an Avon District Sales Manager, I absolutely loved making things for the representatives that went along with a certain theme or goal we were working on at the time. It was like fuel to keep me going and excited!
Now, since my car accident, and life taking a big change, I have more time for creating, and I’ve put it into more of a business venture, but I realize that this is a gift from God, that He put in my heart, and created me to do.
But, I always wondered if this was “important enough” for a child of God to be doing. After all, my husband, daughter and son put reading a book way up on their lists, and I really didn’t care that much about that (unless it was about making something, instructions, etc.) I look up to so many people who are constantly reading.
I just went to a bookstore with a friend (Benna Resnick), and she was actually looking at books to read (ha!), and I went back to the clearance section (always do), and found a wonderful book about designing jewelry. There was a slight tinge of almost guilt on my part that maybe my book wasn’t really important.
I have prayed about this so much, talked with Ty about it, and listened to his advice, talked with friends, who know me, and that has really helped.
Reading scripture about being thankful for how He has made us has also helped.
In Psalm 100, It is He who has made us and not we ourselves…
There is NOTHING we can do to make ourselves be other than who He has created us to be.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17
I thought I’d write this out, to help others who might be struggling with something that you think isn’t important, or comparing yourself to others, which I have also had problems with in my life.
Here is a wonderful verse to start with:
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14
I have had time over the past two years to think, pray, read scripture, ask for advice, and soul search, and you know what? I’m thankful for the way God created me. Do I need help every day to keep myself in check? Absolutely! But, no more guilt or comparing or wishing I was someone else or different than JUST how He (the creator of the universe) made me.
Maybe something I’ve shared will help someone else come to this reality MUCH EARLIER than I have. I pray that it will.
The Button Lady 