Beyond Me

I thoroughly enjoyed the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit and I highly recommend that everyone go see it. But, one screen disturbed me greatly and I cannot stop thinking about it. It had an excerpt from one of the hundreds of letters Vincent Van Gogh sent to his brother Theo during his lifetime. 

I looked it up and read the entire letter. While this man was immensely talented and is one of the most famous artists ever; while his grandfather was a minister and he was even a missionary for a brief season; while he even was said to have spent a brief time translating Scripture into other languages, when he found his true calling in life to be art, he found it necessary to choose either God or his art. 

He wrote on Sept 3, 1888:

"Ah, my dear brother, sometimes I know so clearly what I want. In life and in painting too, I can easily do without the dear Lord, but I can’t, suffering as I do, do without something greater than myself, which is my life, the power to create."

Why would it be that he felt he had to choose between the Lord and art? Why not both? Isn't the Creator the One who puts creativity in all of us, even the unregenerate, as evidenced by the Holy Scripture in Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image."? 

Why would Van Gogh say that that which greater than himself is his "life, the power to create?" Yes, he was a very creative and talented artist, but he did not create anything that God did not give him the ability to create. (see John 1:3 and Colossians 1:15-17) And, it was not his life that is bigger than himself, it is the Lord, whom he says he can easily do without. 

This quote made me sad. He was only 35 when he made this statement, and he died two years later. I do not write off the man's work for it, because his art is good. And, I do not presume to know the state of his heart upon his leaving this life and facing God in eternity. But, if he knew Jesus and is in His presence today, he basically took the credit for the incredible talent he had been given instead of attributing it to the Creator, God, for whom it is due. And, if he did not know Jesus, well, his life here on earth was as good as it gets, for all of eternity, for him, and given his many years in mental hospitals and "suffering" as he wrote, I'd say, that was not much to speak of. He is in God's hands now; the very One he said he could easily "do without." 

Do you know Jesus? Would you like to know the God who creates us and gives all our gifts and talents? Would you like to know someone who is greater than you, even greater than your life and your abilities? Message me and I'll share with you how you can get to know this God. You may think you can "easily do without the Lord" but its beyond me why anyone would want to.

It was God!

"It was God"

Today, my mother had a procedure in the hospital. She had had a stress test and echo on her heart Tuesday and the doctor became alarmed enough that he said she had to have an arteriogram immediately. He said he had seen multiple blockages and was certain she would need to get a bypass. Needless to say, we were all concerned.

So, last night, I gathered my family around Mom and we prayed. After instruction in the laying on of hands, the little ones put their precious hands all over my mom. The youngest, Cody, who is six, was right there with us. While he chose not to pray out loud, he obviously took the process very seriously.

At the hospital, Mom had her procedure and the doctor came in and told the family that he had been surprised, that Mom's arteries were clear with absolutely no blockage. Later in the day, Cody and I went out for some special Aunt/Nephew time and we were discussing the day's events at the hospital. He had been the only child who had been able to go see Maw-maw in the hospital, so I am sure seeing her in a hospital gown and not in her apron in the kitchen was very different for him. I was explaining to Cody how arteries can get clogged up like a pipe gets clogged up and I suppose I must have indicated that the doctor may have been mistaken in his alarm. Cody very earnestly, yet quietly reminded me, "It was God."

Oh the faith of children! Cody readily recognized the hand of God in Mom's arteries being clear. After all, that's what we asked God to do when we prayed. He did not question it and was convinced that God was the reason the doctor had such a pleasant surprise. Jesus said we must receive the Kingdom of God like a little child or we'll not enter that kingdom. Children, in their unwavering trust and innocence, just believe that when they ask God to do something, He will do it.

When we pray, it takes the faith of a mustard seed. When we pray, it takes the belief of a child. One is tiny, and apparently the other is giant. Children take people at their word. Children believe. When you pray for people, issues, events in your life, pray with the faith you have, no matter how small it may be and then believe with the giant faith of a child.  And then, you'll be convinced that God will act, and don't be surprised when He does.

"He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."  Luke 17:6

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

12/6/2014 2:23 AM EST

Grateful through the Pain

Sometimes the pain in my back and torso is so intense that I can't stand it.  At other times its just the normal stuff....the pain I've learned to live with everyday. Tonight its one of those, "oh my gosh, I cannot even lie down because it hurts so bad" nights. This means that tomorrow will be a hard, hard day because I am not able to go to sleep and its already 3:00 AM.

It's times like this that I have to remind myself to be grateful through the pain. A few years ago I almost died with a nasty infection that invaded my thoracic spine. Two of my vertebrae had to be removed in an operation that was very extensive. I was left with chronic pain, not only from the hardware in my back, but also from all the scars throughout my torso as the surgeons had to lay me open through and through to get to the right spot.

I was left forever changed, unable to do many things that I'd formerly enjoyed. I am still on pain meds three years later and some times, like tonight, even the pain meds aren't helpful. Its so hard to continue on with the call of God on my life when the pain becomes so intense.


Yet, with all that, as I type this I am listening to a friend's piano playing the song, There is a Fountain. One of the verses says, "E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die."

Now not to get all hyper-spiritual on you, but how can I continue to have self-pity when I think of what Jesus did for me? When I think of his love, of his death for me, and for his purposes for my life, I cannot help but be grateful. Just because my body isn't working properly, doesn't mean that God's will for my life is over. No, he really intends me to continue on and to share his redeeming love with those who have not heard, with those who are in pain and cannot find a source of life because of it. I have the source of life, I have God's love.

Oh that I remember to be grateful through the pain always.

Check out my friend's site and his music: http://www.reverbnation.com/dalemoore#!