souldare

Do this in remembrance of me. (Jesus, as quoted in Luke 22:19 NASB)

“It is nice finding that place where you can go and just relax.” (Moises Airas)

I find making collages out of magazine clippings very relaxing. I lose myself in the images and fitting the sizes, shapes and colors together in a pleasing and sometimes provoking way. The collage pages above include imagery, but also words and phrases and found “poems” emerge.

One of the found poems brought to mind the ongoing conversations I have with myself to relax.

relax. That’s the first thing;

I move around in my life.

It’s a way of being.

In some sense,

choices forced me

to realign my

perception of it.

Relaxation is a choice for me. I don’t relax naturally; I am always in motion. So collage, is a way for me to be still. Riding my bike is another way to be still, even while at the same time moving. I often try to soothe my soul by sitting in a quiet place, but even then my mind is wandering.

I mentioned in the last post that I am reading The Artist’s Way, and one of her tools for tapping into our creative stores is to set an artist’s date. Go out and do something fun and playful, not necessarily related to your artistic outlet. For me riding my bike, and finding a new place to explore fills that description. This past week, I got on my bike one morning, and headed toward the cafe that I kept noticing whenever we went into town for groceries. When you arrive, you walk into a courtyard, and then go inside to order. I chose to eat outside, since it was such a nice day. I had the whole vast, secluded garden area to myself. It was my found sanctuary for the day.

I met the couple who owns the cafe. The wife tends the gardens and the customers, while the husband cooks. On this day, he was trying his hand at making English muffins. I ordered one along with some scrambled eggs and coffee. The muffin was piping hot, as I pried it open with my fork. I placed the tab of butter inside to let it melt. When I picked it up to take a bite, communion found me. I thought of Jesus breaking bread, and asking his disciples to remember.

Do this in remembrance of me, echoed in my mind. I looked around at my serene surroundings. I remembered all the adventures of the past few weeks, the beach across the street, the restless need to snap beauty or capture a moon with my camera, the conversations with husband or strangers, and enjoying this place with our friends who came for a visit this past weekend. I recalled all the delicious meals, the refreshing breezes, and the calming presence of the created world crashing upon my soul, day after day. The rich text and textures that I was noticing, reading and experiencing. All this! Do this in remembrance of me. Do life in remembrance of me. Of me, the One who created. The One who made me with body, mind, emotions and spirit  to enjoy all this.

What is your “this” today?