"I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded,
not with the fanfare of epiphany,
but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and
slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."
Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner
not with the fanfare of epiphany,
but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and
slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."
Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner
Many thanks to Lori and Heather for coordinating this occasion that brings awareness, presence and understanding to many human conditions and life challenges. Each artist was invited to select a meaningful word, representative color or a person to honor in an artistic creation while shedding light on some area of challenge or struggle. I personally have used this time of creation to feel more deeply the blessings of my life, many of which have been the result of times of struggle. I look forward to witnessing to the journeys and discoveries of the other artists who have poured their hearts and souls into their creations. I invite you to join me by following the links at the end of this post.
I asked Heather to create a forest green bead with the word agape' on it. Her work is so beautiful and inspired me tremendously in my artistic endeavor.
I chose this word because of a recent struggle with cruelty and abandonment by the very people I should be able to trust. I chose green because it is a color for those battling depression and also symbolizes peacefulness and renewal. My road out of the darkness and despair from this traumatic time is teaching me so many things and helping me to identify areas in my life that I need to improve in . . . mostly the ability to forgive and to love more fully . . . unconditionally. Through my work, I strive to become a stronger, wiser, more gentle person.
AGAPE ~ unconditional love
My piece is based on a design by the amazing Susan Schwartzenberger and I feel that it represents the immense power that flows from those who love freely. I choose muted rainbow colors that spoke to me of hope and possibility in my continued journey and the work I need to do. The golden crystals remind me of God's presence in my life and the thankfulness I have for His guidance through the darkness.
We know that forgiveness is not optional--
we are to forgive as we have been forgiven.
But forgiveness is not natural.
It goes against everything that cries out for fairness.
The thing that we need to forgive often involves pain--
from the sting of an unkind word to the
deep gash left by an abusive relationship.
We are often left holding the pain,
knowing the one whom we must forgive
will likely not acknowledge nor ask for it.
While we cannot afford to dwell on pain for too long,
we cannot afford to ignore it either.
We live in a fallen world where everyone
has experienced the pain of wrong choices.
When the wrong involves a violation of trust,
or results in a life altering consequence,
it can become even harder to forgive.
Then Peter came to him and asked,
“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins
against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times,"
Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"
Matthew 18:21-22
I have a responsibility to forgive . . . even if it is daily seventy times seven. Only then will I truly understand and achieve agape . . . unconditional love.
Thank you for visiting my wanderware blog site. Check out the Art of Awareness blog posts of these artists:
