“We can watch the brief video, then play and pause it as we follow her instructions. Work for you?” My daughter smiled as she sat across the kitchen table.
“Sure does. I’m ready. Just have to ignore the little voice that wants to tell me how inept I might be at this.” Slightly intimidated, I looked down at the little pods of paint, five of the same colors for each of us.
“Mom, it’ll be fine. This is supposed to be fun and relaxing.”
“I agree, one hundred percent. Not going to fuss about whether it’s perfect or not.”
“Wonderful!”
The woman’s voice began to speak clearly and with intention, yet with a softness that drew one in as she picked up a brush and step-by-step, began to lead us through the process.
For all the reasons this time to be together was special, being tops the list. Yes, we were doing in the sense we were painting a picture, but more importantly, we simply enjoyed one another, the peacefulness of swishing the small brushes into the various bright colors on the paper plate, and the unfolding picture that actually looked a lot like the one in the tutorial.
I’ll never be Michelangelo. That’s more than okay. As I discover new aspects of who God has created me to be, it’s a joy to savor moments of unexpected grace and beauty. No grades. No raised eyebrows of uninvited critique. No interior frowns of disapproval that I can be so good at turning on myself.
For as long as I live that sense of ‘good enough’ may linger, as it does for many of us. But here’s the best news—with practice and a willingness to open our hearts and minds to new experiences, we can learn to silence, or at least ignore, the inner critic that feels entitled to judge our every move and action.
Without a doubt, this particular day with my daughter was about a whole lot more than painting a picture. It was about savoring and appreciating the opportunity to simply “be.”
And just for the record—one of the most delightful and blessed Mother’s Day gifts I can remember.
What does “being” mean to me?
How do I feel about allowing myself to “be”?
What if learning to “be” is a gateway for God to touch me with deep inner healing?
