Sorg vs Sorge

Let op hoe groei die veldlelies: hulle swoeg nie en hulle maak nie klere nie. ...Salomo in al sy prag was nie geklee soos een van hulle nie.
Matteus 6:28-29

Die verskil tussen oorvloed en armoede is een letter.

Die deel in Matteus oor die sorge van lewe was nog altyd treffend. Ons sorge begin waar God se sorg eindig. Jesus het die lelies van die veld in dieselfde vergelyking met Salomo gestel.
Ons hoef nie rykdom te besit, soos Salomo om God se sorg te benodig nie. Die lelies is afhanklik van God. In hulle broosheid, sonder dat hulle enigeiets besit of kan verdien klee God hulle met soveel skoonheid en sorg: Salomo kan nooit eers droom om dit materieel bymekaar te maak nie.

God se sorg is nie gekoppel aan 'n sekere hoeveelheid besittings nie. Dit begin nie die dag wanneer my bankbalans stewig is, my huis afbetaal en ek die kar van my drome ry nie. Ek kan alles besit sonder dat God vir my sorg. Soveel mense het dit wat hulle besit uit eie krag bymekaargemaak. Dit is die mees kwesbare plek om jou te bevind, want in 'n oogwink kan jy soos Job op die ashoop van bankrotskap beland. God se sorg verdwyn nooit uit mens se lewe nie, selfs al gaan jy deur swaar tye. Maar as jou rykdom bepaal word deur die hoeveelheid wat jy besit het jy 'n probleem.

Jy hoef nooit ryk te wees om in oorvloed te lewe nie. Die dag wanneer jy alles wat jy het van God bid, wanneer jy besef als kom van God, daardie dag sal jy nooit weer gebrek lei nie.

God se sorg is nie gekoppel aan geldelike hoeveelhede nie, dit word gemeet in die vorm van geestelike welstand.
Vir God is jou geestelike welstand belangriker as jou bankbalans - hy sal eerder jou deur beproewings laat gaan sodat jy geestelik kan groei, as wat jy in gemak geestelik verarm.

Die mees bevoorregte posisie om in te leef is om elke maand my bankbalans voor God te plaas, saam met my behoeftes en te beleef hoe God die middele stuur om hierdie behoeftes te vervul.

Die dag wanneer ek glo dat dit nie meer nodig is om God vir iets te vra nie, dan het ek 'n e agter die woord sorg gelas. Dan leef ek met sorge ongeag hoeveel ek besit.

So skrap die e. Wees 'n lelie van die veld.

Playing a violin

(After watching Ladies in Lavender)

There were two men who both played the violin. They both played the same tune, using the same instrument but each one's attempt sounded different.

To the first man playing the instrument it was a duty, a means of income, a mode of survival. He played every note using his head, his thoughts to guide him through each verse. In the end every piece became a monotonous repeat of sound. He made a living, but not a life.
He performed every piece but couldn't feel the vibration of content that should have moved every nerve and sinew with every stroke.

Then the second man came. He gently stroked over the artistic wooden piece, placed it against his shoulder, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. And then he played - every note a product of his passion to let the world share in his joy. To him playing the violin was not a mere duty, but a need, a craving, an expression of his uniqueness in humanity. In music he found his breath, his strength, his guidance and true fulfillment of his life purpose.

We all have been like the first man: doing the sensible things in life. Making safe choices that would ensure security, the best chance on survival. We all ignore our passions, not trusting our dreams - scared of the future. We play the same tune on our violins day after day, working through the tunes in our minds. But this robs us from joy. Never will we find the content and self realization that we have been longing for.

We will persist on this journey of duty until we realize - God has given us talents and dreams. He is the dream giver, He knows me better than I know myself. He speaks through my deepest desires. How can I distrust Him and not follow those dreams. How will I ever be able to unlock my true potential if I'm not willing to follow the course my dreams take me on.

I know now more than ever before that I want to use the limited time I'm granted here on earth to live out my passion. I want to free the potential God has given me, I want to put my energy into those things which I enjoy.

I want to play the violin which God has carved for me, not the one put into my hands by other people's expectations.

I pray that God will always give me the insight and wisdom to choose my passions, live my dreams and give myself joyfully for that in which I believe.

Painting your life

After a few definite failures in my attempt at drawing I started to contribute it to a lack of talent. I packed my paints away, tried to lift up my head and forget that I ever had any artistic ambitions. But deep down there still lived the desire to take a pencil in my hand and draw the pictures that were so vivid in my soul.

Funny how strong a belief can govern the direction your choices and ultimately your life takes.

I never thought I would land in an art class again, but I did. Sitting there listening to a clear and vibrant teacher teaching us the basic principles of painting I realised - it all starts with cultivating the correct basic principles. Living by that which you know is pure and true.

As she gave us the artist's principles for successful drawing, I realised that those are the principles of life. Each day we are drawing pictures that we ship down paths of our experience and store in memory crates, to unpack later during times of reflection.

In art there is no definite technique to indicate empty space, but it is the ability to create the feeling of empty space around an object that leads to the success of drawing a picture. In life we also need to recognize the empty spaces within and around us. We need to use them as places of breathing and meditation to create a support system for the areas in our lives that take up space and time.

The second key to successful drawing is the correct balance between light and shade. Every dimension that we experience in a picture is a result of the correct usage of light and shade. A life only filled with light and joy has no depth or dimension. We need sadness, times of hardship to connect with our inner strength, to walk through valleys so that we appreciate the hill top views.

If you want to draw any object, you have to see outlines. It is important to see the object as it is standing in front of you and not in the way your mind is preferring to perceive it. Day by day we are confronted with issues we need to solve, challenges for which we have no answers. The temptation is always there to attach our own perception to a situation to find an easier solution. But as long as we don't stop and look carefully, distinguishing a situation for what it really is, we will never find a creative solution. We will always be trapped between failure and frustration.

Another secret of painting lies in the appreciation of relationships. The way in which one part of an object lies to the other. So many times have I thrown my pictures away because the proportions just didn't look right. The same counts for life - people throw friendships, interests away because they were not able to establish a healthy relationship with that which lies infront of them. Firstly we have to see ourselves in the correct relation to others and our enviroment. We have to be able to live with who we are, know where we are needed, to make a difference before we can attempt to satisfy those around us.

To draw and paint is to create a space of opportunities. To live everyday with honesty, dignity, integrity, joy and zest is to do just that. Every positive action from our inside will have a positive outflow and will create a pallette of colours from which we can mix future experiences.