Artistic Afternoons: As a way of cultivating some space for hope in the ground of our souls today, let’s play around with some collage. Grab a couple of magazines and/or any interesting bits of paper you have around. Flip through and find images that speak hope to your soul (or hope *for* hope, if hope itself feels hard for you today). Where do you catch glimpses of desires that have been long buried in you? What emerges in the colors and images and textures for you—whether you know exactly what it connects with for you, or not? Simple hold the seed of hope in your heart as you gather bits and pieces that speak to you in some way. Then, begin to arrange them on a sturdy piece of paper however makes intuitive sense to you. As you work (/play!) let your creativity make space for hope to flourish in you. What do you notice along the way? Where do you see the longing for goodness, truth, and beauty (in your own heart, or as an expression of God’s longings for you)—and the trust that you are held all along the way? Glue the pieces down—with a glue stick or whatever you have on hand, and spend some time with what you’ve made. Consider what the process was like for you (even if that felt like really just dumping a pile of compost on it all, how might that be cultivating hope, too?!) and your sense of God and/or any invitations in it all. Share your collage with us, if you’d like—so we can catch glimpses of the hope that is being cultivated in one another’s garden and be encouraged in our own processes!

Posted by Jamie Bonilla at 2023-07-24 20:30:12 UTC