Cleaning Out The Fish Bowl

It's been a while.

I needed some time. There's nothing wrong. Nothing big. Nothing out of the ordinary going on in my life. I just needed some time to think.

You see, I started to blog because I love to write; actually at times I need to write. I blogged because I had photos that begged to be shared - sitting in cyberspace was doing them no good. I blogged because it was a convenient and easy way to share my life with friends and family who live too far away to know the little stories of every day life that mean so much. I blogged when God put something on my heart that I thought might touch the hearts of others.

Then I got sucked into the vortex of the blogging world. I heard that blogging was the new black. Everyone's doing it. I started to write for "people out there". I thought more about writing blogg-able moments than living memorable moments. My fish bowl started to stink. Maybe you didn't smell it - but in my heart I knew it stunk.

So I'm back.

I did a little soul searching.
The water's clean. I can see clearly.
I've been fed.
I'm ready to write.
Like I said, I need to write. Even if no one reads, I need to write.
It's good for my soul.

In the midst of new pajamas, jewelry, clothes, and games, this Christmas brought two gifts that have wormed their way into the depths of me and are challenging me to wake up and see what God is doing all around me.

The first is a gift I gave to George.
"Wake Up And Smell the Coffee" - an original painting by George's good friend from high school Jim Elston.

I was drawn in by the quirkiness of it.  Well the quirkiness and the fact that it has the word coffee in the title and the colors look fabulous in the kitchen!

All good art has some deeper meaning, so I knew there must be a story behind this piece of work, but I didn't give it much thought.  Then, while having dinner with Jim and Beth they asked if we wanted to know what he was thinking when he painted it.  Ahh ... see, there is a deeper meaning.  He shared his story.  It was good to listen.  His story is raw.  He's in the heat of it.  He's waking up.  He smelling the coffee.  He's catching a glimpse of what God is in the midst of doing all around him.

Little did I know how meaningful this seemingly quirky little painting would be for me.  Throughout the day today I paused everytime the painting came into my peripheral vision.  Wake up Robin.  Smell the coffee.  God is doing amazing things all around you.  There may be clouds, but WAKE UP.

The second gift follows in the same vein.  This time, a gift for me.  This gift, like the other gift, holds a connection to my past, a gift sent from my dear friend Rachel in California.  And again, like the painting, it's touching the depths of my soul and challenging me to see the amazing ways that God works through even our weakest efforts.

It goes to show that no matter what you wish for at Christmas you always end up getting what you need.   These were gifts for my soul.  They're like a filter on my fish tank.  Keeping my water fresh and clean.

So I'm back to the blog and it feels so good.
If it starts to stink again or if the water gets murky let me know.