July 16, 2017

Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: DEADLINES


Some people thrive with the addition of an external deadline. Others do not.  The pressure of having to create with time restrictions can motivate some artist to be more creative because of the challenge & purpose.  It is a form of accountability. For some it can cause them to shut down in frustration because they feel constrained by the time frame.  I have the luxury of my art being a creative outlet and not how I provide for my family... so I rarely have deadlines.  However, I should probably set more for creating & be more purposeful so that I keep myself actively engaged in art making. An artist who has no deadline can at times flounder directionless.  Being aware of time can motive you to do more so you can accomplish your personal goals.


Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
James 4:14

Life has deadlines.  I'm not just talking about THE deadline.  Death is not the only end.  We have a limited amount of time to impact/influence others.  We may move.  They may move.  Relationships shift. Jobs change. Schooling comes to an end. A chance encounter slips through our fingers.  I fear I've allowed too much time to pass by without realizing these deadlines.  God blesses us with opportunities to share his love.  However, we often think we have all the time in the world to do so.  It usually doesn't occur to us until the "deadline" has passed and we have failed to share the most important thing our life.  Missed opportunities should not bring condemnation, but should motivate us to utilize the time we have been given to share his love. Don't allow deadlines to pass you by.

(speaking of a missed deadline...see the picture below!)
(This past week I've been working very late every night on some paintings for an artshow I've been asked to be a part of...and it caught up with me. Yep, this deadline got me good.   Last night I could not stay awake to write this.  You can see how I fell asleep with my hands on the keyboard! ha ha)

1 comment:

  1. Sometimes deadlines make me shut down, but most of the time, a deadline forces me to make a decision that needs to be made in order to complete my work. That helps me to move on to another project! (So it's usually a very good thing!)

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