Harnessing the Creative

My eldest is a creative.
A born entrepreneur.
Energetic.
Bursting at the seams with ideas.

She's what I call "a starter".
She's always dreaming up the next big thing.
Always raring to go.

She is such a starter, in fact, 
that many of her efforts are formed
in her mind and ready for action
at a moment's notice.

Such a short moment's notice, in fact, 
that she often takes initiative 
without asking permission from Paul or I 
about the next big venture.

And when my husband or I put on the brakes,
she can get frustrated.
When we call a halt to her visions, 
she can become sad.

And it got me thinking recently...
Is this what it might be like for us if we get ahead of God?

How often do we go about our lives,
with our own ideas,
our own agenda,
our plans,
and we've never allowed God into our process?

We've taken initiative, 
we drawn up the blueprints,
marked out the path,
and then, and only then,
do we take time to talk to God.

And sometimes, Abba will put the kibosh 
on all our carefully laid plans.
The Parent who knows us best and loves us most
can slam on the brakes
to our seemingly brilliant ideas.

And we can get frustrated.
We can become sad.
Given a long enough period of time, 
we might become bitter
or resentful
or despondent toward God.
We might begin to believe
He really doesn't want us to thrive.

The truth is, 
I love my daughter.
Every single cell of her.
She makes me tired.
I sigh (a lot).
I wish for nap time to be reinstated.
But I wouldn't change one creative ounce of her.
I yearn to see her succeed.
I want to help her dream.
I desire to do all I can to help her ideas come to fruition.

But that happens when she is willing to come alongside
and work with her parents...
not just tell them what she's doing;
not just move ahead with little thought 
to the opinion of the two people who know her best and love her most.

My daughter's best chance of success
is working in tandem with the ones
who can help bring the aspirational to reality.
At the age of 8, that would be us, her parents.

God loves us.
Every single ounce of us.
And He loves to see His children reflecting His creative nature.
He also desires a people willing to follow Him.
A people listening, seeing, responding to His action in this world.
And our best chance for success; 
the best scenario for bringing the aspirational to reality, 
comes from working in tandem with God...
every step of the way.

If we don't, we might find ourselves frustrated.
Or doubting.
Or fretful.
Or confused.

May we neither run ahead of God nor drag our feet behind.
May we keep ever in perfect pace with Him.
Ever single creative, glorious ounce of us.

A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

(NKJV)

We plan the way we want to live,

 but only God makes us able to live it.

(MSG)

- Proverbs 16:9