Tomorrow begins the Mexican celebration called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There’s a lot of misinformation out there about this celebration. First, Día de los Muertos as nothing to do with Halloween. Another thing is that it is as much of a celebration of life as it is a remembrance of the dead.

I have never been one to actively participate in this time of celebrating and commemoration of deceased ancestors.  For one thing the calaveras make me extremely uncomfortable.  But I’ve been thinking more about this special time in the Mexican culture these past few days and something has occurred to me.  Here are my thoughts.

This celebration began with the original (native) people in what we now call Mexico.  I have begun to realize that as a descendant of those remarkable people, I can acknowledge the parts of the celebration that mean something to me and leave the rest out.  I do not have to be “all in” to remember, celebrate and appreciate my ancestors.   I do not have to paint a calavera on my face or build an ofrenda.  It is okay for me to celebrate, honor and remember my ancestors in other ways.  I can tell my children and grandchildren about them, paint their portraits, and remembering and pass on their stories.

One of those stories involve an answered prayer that my Grandmother prayed.  Here’s some background; when the Spanish colonist and Catholics took over Mexico from the indigenous people living there, they brought with them the November 1^st celebration they called “All Saints Day”.  This is an especially important day for many Catholics. One of the stories I was told by my father involves that day and shows great honor to my Grandmother, Marina Ledezma Enriquez.  It also shows how important family was to her.  The family story goes like this; after my grandmother married my grandfather, Pedro Galindo Gonzalez in 1913 she lost 3 babies.  After these 3 tragic losses, my Grandmother prayed. In her prayer, she promised that if her next baby lived, she would name that baby after the Saint that was recognized on that day.  My Uncle Santos (Santos means Saints in Spanish) was born on November 1, 1919.  November 1^st is All Saints Day in the Catholic tradition.  My Uncle lived until 1991.  Her prayer was answered. 

I love this story and will share it with my children and grandchildren and that will keep my grandmother’s memory alive.  Whose memory are you keeping alive through pictures and stories?  Have a wonderful Día de los Muertos and All Saints Day!

I caught a glimpse of fall’s glorious color today. Amazingly enough, during a very mundane activity. I was waiting in line at a Starbuck’s drive through. Noticing this random glimpse of beauty in the midst of a busy stressful Monday brought me joy and a bit of peace. It allowed me to slow my mind for a moment, take a deep breath and smile. It was an answer to a prayer that I didn’t even realize I was praying. God is like that, isn’t he? Sometimes he answers prayers in big grand ways but usually he answers them through small everyday things that, if we’re not paying attention, we might miss. How is God answering your prayers today? Is it through the laughter of a child? Or maybe it’s a smile from someone you love? Or is it by showing you a bit of fall’s miraculous transformation. Whatever it is I hope it brings you joy.

“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

For the last several months I have been quietly navigating through a bumpy and unpredictable journey called Lament.  This Journey of Lament has resulted in my traversing several uncharted and dusty, lonely roads.  The first two roads I came upon are called Sadness and Mourning.  On these roads are my thoughts of the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and the unimaginable suffering due to a tiny unseen enemy called COVID-19.  As I continued on this journey, I came to an intersection called Witness.  At this intersection I watched as our country and its institutions took a sharp turn down a dark dead-end road called Racism.  As I traveled further, I hit the potholes of our country’s collective apathy and unwillingness to repent for our sinful treatment towards our brothers and sisters who look, act, speak and live differently than us.  On my journey I rested at a turnout called Acknowledgement. Stopping for a while at Acknowledgement I became aware of the fact that our refusal to repent from the sin of racism has resulted in our innocent children once again bearing witness to and suffering from it.  Lament has also taken me down a road called Realization. While traveling down this road I came to realize that our country may never completely fulfill its dream. The dream where all people experience equality and those “certain unalienable rights” that were promised.  

I am very road weary and I remember that I have been on my journey for a long, long time.  This long Journey of Lament has had so many switchbacks and U-turns that to try and get my bearings at this point would be impossible. Most of the usual tools one would use to chart a course that would assure this journey ends in a sunny green meadow complete with rainbows and singing birds are absent from me now.  A road sign, GPS or Northern Star are nowhere to be found.  Therefore, I will trust my journey to the two unchangeable navigators available: prayer and faith.  This journey might bring me to a dead end, or I might go off a cliff.  I just do not know.  Only my faithful traveling companion knows. He charted my course through this journey long before He even put that Northern Star in the night sky.  He knows the way and where and how my Journey of Lament will end.  And He has promised me that my journey will end in a place He named New Heaven and New Earth.  This promise is the final destination from my Journey of Lament. He is leading me there.  His promise is the road sign I seek. It is my beautiful Northern Star.  I am on a road that leads to His promise.  I will continue until I reach my final destination. At the Destination He has prepared for me “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

I am humbled and also contemplating my calling as a Christian artist/leader. Here’s why; I received a message from a friend. She was thanking me for encouraging her to show her art work in a recent art show I organize at my church.  Frankly, I was surprised and humbled by her acknowledgement and appreciation.  The reason for my surprise is because my desire to encourage, teach, and help Christian artists to share their gifts is a calling from God done out of my effort towards obedience.  Just like much of the artwork that God inspires and allows me to create. It is part of my calling as a Christian artist. Therefore, in creating art and encouraging other artists, I am turning this calling into an act of obedience to God. My goal and prayer is that all my work and efforts would be motivated by my desire to please God and give Him glory.  That is why, when someone thanks or credits me for encouraging them to share their art, I am humbled.

This striving towards obedience is also my motivation for organizing opportunities for Christian artists to display their creations.  As Christian artists we are called to create things that give glory to the original creator, the one that taught us and continues to teach us to create.  If you are an artist and a Christian, what motivates you to create and show your art?  Do you attend a church that supports and encourages creative types to use their unique gifts? Are people at your church given opportunities to use their creative and unique gifts as part of worship and other events? Scripture teaches us, “For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ,” (Romans 12:4). Therefore, if you are a leader in your church, do you look for, welcome, and encourage artists that exist within your membership?  Does your church provide opportunities for artists that work outside the traditional and expected art forms (i.e. music and liturgical arts) to use their God given gifts?  1 Peter 4:10-11 is very clear about how this should work.  “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace; whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

If you are a Christian artist are you taking time to encourage other creatives to use their gifts as a way to give glory to God?  Let’s go back to scripture to learn what Jesus has to say about this unique mission for His people. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:14-16)  So friends, “encourage each other every day, while you still have something called ‘today’.  Help each other so that none of you will be fooled by sin and become too hard to change.” (Hebrews 3:13 ERV)

So this is why I am humbled and contemplative today. These are some of the questions and thoughts that my friend’s message brought to my mind.  We are all called…no commanded…to support, encourage, teach, and help others to shine their light for God’s glory.  This is our Holy calling.

I have been hearing the word “overwhelmed” in conversations with my Christian artist friends lately.  I have found over the years that the word overwhelmed is a word that people use to describe a feeling of a great mental and emotional weight accompanied by anxiety.  I understand how artist types, including myself, may be especially prone to these feelings.  It may be because we tend to have a heightened sense of awareness and sensitivity to our surroundings. This sensitivity can sometimes lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious. Many of us also tend to be perfectionists which can also lead to anxiety.  This anxiety includes being in constant state of criticizing oneself because “good” never seems “good” enough.

So why, as Christian artists, should we be especially concerned about these feelings? There are two reasons.  One reason is that this feeling can lead us down a path of stifled creativity and a diminished drive to engage in our artist work.  And, as this work is a gift and a calling given to us by our Creator, it is very important that we do not allow negative feelings, thoughts and emotions to stifle it.  The second reason is that being overwhelmed and anxious in this life is NOT how God wants us to live.  Given this, I would like to start by exploring what the bible has to say about the feeling of being overwhelmed.

In scripture the apostle Mark tells of a time when Jesus, knowing the great trial, pain and suffering ahead of him said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.  Going a little farther he fell to the ground and prayed” (Mark 14:33-35).  Let’s break these verses down a bit.  First off, don’t you find it reassuring, to learn that even our Lord Jesus had such times of feeling overwhelmed and anxious?  We do not live in a bubble of isolation where no one understands our pain.  Jesus understands it! “My soul,” he says “is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of DEATH.” His suffering is so strong that he describes it to his good friends as sorrow and death.

He goes on to asks his friends for help. “Stay here and keep watch,” he tells them.  When you’re feeling overwhelmed do you reach out to your friends, your “tribe” of fellow artists and Christians?  Maybe attend an artist’s retreat, join an art club, get together with friends to create art.  God’s perfect plan includes placing us in community with other believers and artists who can listen, care and maybe help.

What does Jesus do next?  He goes straight to prayer. “…he fell to the ground and prayed.” Jesus, who is our model in all things, shows us how to deal with feeling overwhelmed…turn to God in pray.  Jesus himself said “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). He is there if you just seek him and ask for His guidance and help.  God’s perfect plan for us is that we would live joyful, productive lives, in communion with him, engaged in our community and in activities that bring glory to Him.

Acknowledging that creating art can be both physically and mentally exhausting is also important. This exhaustion can help contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious.  Add to that the constant stress of deadlines, high cost of supplies, entering art shows only to have your piece rejected, time constraints…the list goes on and on.  Are you taking time to rest and recharge your creative battery?  I recharge by engaging in other types of art like singing in choir, seeing a good movie, going to a gallery, reading and writing.  I also spend time alone. My “quiet time” is extremely important to me.  How did Jesus recharge?  The Bible tells us, “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'” (Mark 6:31)  I love this quote by Saint Francis de Sales who was a Roman Catholic bishop and doctor in the 16^th century; “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”  Be patience with yourself. Give yourself a break. Get some rest.

Another helpful attitude I have developed over the years is to think of my art as a process not a product.  Try creating art just for the sheer joy of it.  With no preconceived ideas. I think that creating art should be like going on an unplanned road trip, full of fun and adventure.  Try not to approach it with feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious.  Surrender the notion of constantly trying to control the outcome.  Rethink how and why you create.  A resource I would highly recommend is a book by Steven Aimone called “Expressive Drawing, A Practical Guide to Freeing the Artist Within.”  This book is a colorful fun “workshop” full of examples and inspiration that will help you rediscover the fun adventure that creating should be.

If you’re a creative type or any type who has been feeling overwhelmed and anxious remember:

1. Pray every day, constantly.
2. Spend time with your tribe.
3. Don’ t be afraid to ask for help.
4. Take time to rest and recharge.
5. Rethink how you think about and approach each project.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18