souldare

He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3 NIV)

GOD refreshes my soul through ART. My way of “practicing His presence” this month.

This daily practice could become a burden or boring. But when done in light of loving GOD, I am delighted and surprised by the process and the outcome.

Today, my husband and I were out enjoying time on the Mississippi river in our little boat, the Intuition. We hadn’t been able to take it out much this year due to various circumstances. It’s a little thing, but being together spending time away from our regular routine recharges our souls greatly.

We like seeing how the river shifts and changes each year. This day we marvelled at the fall trees coloring the bluffs. We eat, we rest, we read, and I bring my ART supplies.

Little did I know, the collage fodder I packed in my supplies would contain a whimsical item to add color, dimension and delight to my work.

The stash included some origami instructions. I noticed a simple boat; I used a square from the instructions to make the boat.

I made a little boat on our boat. I was so tickled by it. My husband delights in me, and has adapted well to my creative flights of fancy. So he smiled, when I showed him this picture that I snapped of my small boat.

The small acknowledgements of each other’s joys brings deep delight to our relationship. We have been developing this habit of loving one another over the past 28 years. Years of practice, failing and trying again, have aged us into the comfortable couple that we are today.

Brother Lawrence’s advice on building happy habits into our lives fits well with celebrating the longevity of our love:

“That we ought not be weary of doing the little things for the love of GOD, who regards not the greatest work but the love with which it is performed. That we should not wonder if, in the beginning, we often failed in our endeavors, but that at last we should gain a habit, which will naturally produce its acts in us, without our care, and to our exceeding great delight.”

What little habit brings you great delight?