As you can see, I’ve been painting quite a bit over the past few months. Mostly scenes of the great lake I live next to—literally, It’s great. In fact…it’s superior!

A bit more than a year ago, I brought a spiritual director to work with the staff I lead at church. His name is Larry, and he had us doing all sorts of creative and contemplative exercises in an effort to encourage a deeper connection with God. And for me, it really worked. I encountered God’s love for me in a very fresh, even new way.

As I left that week-long retreat I was praying about a way to continue those exercises, a way for myself to continue to press deeper into some of what I had learned. And one of the things I wanted to practice was a form of painting as prayer. Painting as a way of interacting with God in a way that goes beyond what I could express with words.

I knew that I would need a simple subject matter, something I could paint almost without thinking, or at least without getting too distracted by the subject itself. And just as I was asking God what kind of subject he might suggest, I turned my head and noticed the lake. How much simpler could I get…water and sky separated most of the time by a horizon line. Nice!

So just over a year ago I begin noticing the lake a bit more. You know, when you live right next to such a beautiful thing, the largest lake in the world, it’s easy to take it for granted. So I began to take a route to work where I’d have to notice the lake, take special notice of what the sky, the water, the colors and atmosphere looked like.

One of the things I noticed is that every single day it’s a different picture. Well, in one sense it’s exactly the same and in another, it is completely different. Awesomely different. And so this past year, rather than writing much on here, I’ve been using that time to paint. And I’ve got enough to cover my little studio wall a few times. How much fun is that?

Also, I’ve noticed how much I’ve been enjoying my time with God, talking and painting and noticing beauty and just enjoying him. I’ve been talking to him about the clouds, the water, my life, the wonderful community I get to pastor, my family, my neighbors—you’d be surprised, there so much to talk about. And when I’m not talking (being an introvert its the part I tend to like the best), I’m just enjoy God’s presence and the incredible beauty I get to live in.

And all along the way, one of the things I’ve noticed is his love for us…for me. And the great joy he takes in creating such a beautiful place for us to live. And this discipline of painting such a simple subject over and over again has reawakened my love for beauty, for creativity of all kinds, and for the people around me. This is quite a bit of fun.

Who knew that such a simple thing could be so deeply impacting.