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Articles by Starr Ayers

Knowing Perfection

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10, NIV

019The large, burly instructor ripped the nose from the face of my clay sculpture and threw it across the room while shouting words of disapproval. At the time, I was too frightened for them to register, but his disparaging remarks left a lasting impression deep within my spirit. The mere remembrance of that dreadful day causes me to shudder.

The setting for this traumatic experience: a big-city art school in the South. The perpetrator: a ruthless sculpture professor who enjoyed intimidating freshmen. His target: the clay head I painstakingly labored over. His casualty: me.

I was proud of my creation. And the nose―well, it was just about perfect, at least in my eyes. I had no clue someone would view my creation with less pride. Nor did I realize how my view of myself and my ability was about to change.

Words―emit power! Their tentacles probe deep into our souls, unearthing emotions we are unaware exist. Words have the capacity to change how we think, feel and act. They have the power to uplift or to destroy.

Regardless of the power of the words that he spoke, it was neither my instructor’s words nor his actions that wielded the deathblow to my spirit. It was the negative self-talk I continued to feed my soul. My destructive internal words wore away at my confidence, not only in my individual creativity but in who I believed I was as a person. I second-guessed myself and my abilities. My God-given potential slipped from view. I only saw my failures.

God, our Creator, looked on all He had made and said it was good. We are His masterpiece―the pinnacle of His creation. It saddens Him when we view ourselves with disdain. We are created to do good works through our relationship with Him in Christ. It grieves Him when we minimize our assignments and dismiss our roles in His divine plan.

God envisioned the work first. Then He envisioned us. He created us for His specific purpose and enabled us to complete it. It isn’t about us at all. It’s about knowing our Creator and realizing His desire for us to join Him in His work.

The enemy is out to destroy our God-given tasks. He is out to destroy us.  It is essential that we resist the destructive words of the enemy and follow the detailed plans of our Instructor.

We are a team.  And as we work in tandem, we will truly know God’s perfection.

Blessings,

Starr

The Paint Box

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“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7, NIV

Paint_Box-2I tore into the plain, brown paper wrapping and squealed with delight. A box filled with fresh, watercolor paints just begged to be placed in the hands of a young artist. Quickly, I found some paper and immersed myself in my creation.

I loved to spend time at my father’s art studio where there was always an abundant supply of paper, pencils, paints, and paternal praise―everything a young Rembrandt would need. It was only natural for me to follow in my father’s footsteps.

Once in fourth-grade art class, our assignment was to copy a picture of a bird on a flowered tree limb. I set about my work with resolve, only this time I was unable to measure up to the high standard I laid out for myself. Thus, I resorted to plagiarism. I discreetly laid my paper on top of the pattern and traced the image with meticulous strokes. Later, as my teacher held up each work before the class, he politely asked me if I had traced mine. Of course I answered, “No.”  In my naivety, I believed I had fooled him.

Today, there are still times when I am unwilling to invest the effort required to achieve the optimal result. My desire for immediate results applies not only to my life’s artistic expression but its spiritual expression as well. My impatience produces halfhearted efforts and a sprint to a premature finish.

Developing artistic skill takes a lifetime of dedicated study and hard work. The same is true of maturing in Christ and living out his purpose. Fulfilling God’s vision requires prayerful time in his presence, intensive study, obedience to his Word, and an earnest resolve to follow the leading of his Holy Spirit. Our approach must be intentional. There are no shortcuts, no patterns to trace―simply his footsteps to follow.

I still have my childhood paint box. The wells once filled with fresh, vibrant, and varied colors now all contain the same dull shade of dirty brown. The result, I am sure, of a young child artist in such a hurry to paint her masterpiece that she didn’t take the time to rinse out her brush.

More than a generation later, I wonder, “Am I still impatiently tracing an image other than my own, or am I willing to follow the unique pattern my Father has marked out for me?”

Spend time with your Father today. Then, go and paint a Masterpiece!

Happy painting,

Starr

See You Later

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“Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11, NIV

sky-414199_640Several years ago, my husband and I moved our adult daughter with Down syndrome into a lovely new group home, twenty minutes from our door. Although it was hard to let her go, we knew she needed to adapt to the world without us, and we wanted to be around to help her with the transition.

Our daughter has adjusted well to her new home. She now has five new “sisters” to interact with, has gained a sense of independence, and is given numerous opportunities to participate in community activities, all while maintaining her long-time position in a sheltered work environment.

Jesus’s disciples walked with him for three-and-a-half years. They had dreams of serving alongside him in an earthly kingdom. Although Jesus tried to prepare them for his departure, they couldn’t imagine life on this earth without him. Then, in a moment, everything changed. He ascended into the heavens and was hidden from their sight. The disciples were left in a stupor, and their despondency would have spiraled into despair except for the words of two men dressed in white: “He will come back in the same way you have seen him go.”

Because of Jesus’s great love for his disciples, he laid the groundwork for his departure. Not only were they assured that they would see their Friend, Teacher, and Savior again, Jesus gave them specific instructions as to what they were to do in the meantime. They were to be his witnesses through the power of his Holy Spirit.

Our daughter is a young woman of few words—not because she can’t speak, but because she chooses not to. Conversing with her is difficult, especially over the telephone. When I tell her good-bye at the end of our very one-sided conversations, she’s silent. After I prod her several times to tell me “good-bye,” she finally voices a soft-spoken “see you later.”

The New Year may be uncertain, but the return of Christ is not. God was not silent about our future. He promises in his Word that Jesus will return. We don’t know the day or the hour or even the year, but we are not to idly sit by until he comes. In the interim, he continues to empower believers to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Christ’s final words to us were not “good-bye” but “see you later.” So, don’t just stand there—do something.

Happy New Year!

Starr