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| in Chicago we ride with puffed sleeves and straw hats |
I love detailed requests. In creating commissioned art, I find comfort
knowing that my time is well spent trying to fulfill a specific command and pleasing
someone in his or her particular request: in a certain style, with certain
colors, based on a particular image. However,
I also appreciate how too many requests are constricting. Rarely, someone places many demands on a
piece of art, and I feel it necessary to let the person know that some creative
expression will occur in the process. I
cannot predict exactly what will occur once the painting starts to manifest
itself and I need to be responsive to the form it is taking. And, I’d guess that the way this originality manifests
has something to do with why the person is requesting a painting at all.
That is, at some point, I realize that as a prerequisite
I desire the one commissioning the piece to turn over the piece to me: “You’re
the [insert flattering adjective, e.g., creative, artistic] one. I trust you.”
I assume that this entrustment might be based upon their finding favor
with my previous work.
When we commission God to act in our lives, I wonder
what sort of specificity He desires. Surely
God loves hearing the details. But in asking
for a job on A Street, from 9-5, at coordinates BxCxD, with more time spent with
friends E and F, do our desires contradict each other in ways that make
fulfilling our requests impossible?
Would asking for more abstract virtues—patience, selflessness—be more
reasonable? Does God wait for a pivotal moment
when we turn things over to Him?
I wonder if God desires not just our communication,
but our recognition of the intrinsic nature of who He is. “God, You’re the [insert Flattering Adjective
that is Eternally True] one.” Perhaps in
requesting specifics in our lives to manifest themselves, we are constricting His
ability to work. Perhaps we must allow
for something unpredictable that will unfold in the moment. Does His previous work give us reason to
trust Him?
