Line by Line

My son and I have been spending time doing art...pencil drawings that we found on YouTube.  It has been fun and educational as we learn to draw.  

This morning I woke up with the phrase “line by line” in my mind.  

I am not a natural artist...or a natural musician. My music for years and years was more by note, reading the notes and searching for beautiful arrangements of the notes so that I could play something pleasant to listen to.  Within the past few years I have had a teacher who has encouraged me to get away from note by note and feel the music more...then play from my heart.  Keeping my ears on the sounds and using what I have learned to create something pretty...rather than keeping my eyes on the notes only.  He encourages me to listen to the music and keep my ears open instead of blindly “walking” a set path I have put before myself. 

And the art I have been learning has been by following a teacher.  Line by line.  When the teacher draws a square, I draw a square.  When the teacher says to curve a line, I curve a line.  To me when I am drawing it looks like a lot of lines but gradually the teacher connects the lines and adds shadings and as I watch and follow my blank piece of paper takes form.  It is better than what I can come up with on my own.  Trust me...I tried freehand drawing what was in my mind.  Somewhere there is a broken connection.

But when I take it a line at a time, waiting for the teacher to lead me...something beautiful and unexpected emerges.  When I listen to the music my teacher plays carefully and hear what needs to be added or even taken away, then something beautiful and unexpected emerges.  

And when I keep my eyes on Jesus...and my ears tuned to His Word...despite feeling like I do not know what is going to emerge during this time of stress and anxiety...He will make something beautiful of it.  Sometimes less is more in music...my teacher will say ,”Leave space for the music ...hold it without adding anything to it.”  Sometimes the art teacher will say erase the lines now and leave space on the page. And I think as many things are being removed from me with social distancing and shelter in place...God is saying,” I want to fill the emptiness with Me.  Keep your eyes on Me.  Listen to Me.  Hold on...and don’t add to what I am doing in your life.  I will make something beautiful out of this.”

My eyes are on You, Jesus.  My ears are tuned to You, Jesus.  I have seen what You bring up out of the ashes. 

You brought life out of death and joy out of mourning. Help me keep focused on You, my Teacher and my Savior and my Lord.  Amen.