Love is...

Here are some reflections I've had over the past week while doing some art. 👩‍🎨

Day 1:

I've had the idea to paint a rose to represent 'Love' for quite a while yet didn't have the courage to start cos drawing a rose is challenging!!! 😅 Well, this morning I had a brainwave and decided I would use a stencil 💡 

Easy peasy, or so I thought... here I am trying to create the stencil but it's much harder than I had imagined. It'll take much longer (and probably some arm pain along the way) to achieve. 😬

But isn't that what we've already been told? The first quality of 'Love' is that it is long-suffering ♥️ so please be patient with me as I continue working on this piece...

Day 2:

It's still work in progress but at least I managed to complete the making of the stencil after a whole day of cutting, slicing and carving - bit by bit 😅 

Ended up with not just arm pain, but also finger, wrist, shoulder and neck pain 😜 Reminded again of another quality of 'Love' - perseverance! 💪❤

Day 3:

I'm actually done with the artwork but thought I should feature the stencil (again... haha!) 

It served its purpose quietly, never calling attention to itself but giving the spotlight to the picture that's produced through it. And when it is finished, it's ready to be discarded with nary a complaint.

Just like 'Love', it does not boast and isn't self-seeking. Instead it is willing to sacrifice itself for the sake of the beloved.

Day 4:

Confession - while making the stencil I actually tore it at a couple of places. 😜 

But while using it, the stencil covered over my mistakes and there's no trace of them in the picture.

'Love' also holds no grudges and forgives everything. In fact, the greatest love of all has covered over and borne all our sins so we can be blameless. 

Day 5:

I know I'm really milking this 'object lesson' but while doing the art work, more and more insights came so I can't bear to waste all the wonderful analogies between the stencil and 'Love'. 🥰

For instance, while colouring in the spaces it's inevitable that I'll rub/push against the edges of the stencil, and some of the colour goes onto it. But when the stencil is lifted off, we see the picture formed through how the stencil had 'protected' specific areas of the paper. 

In the same way, 'Love' will always protect the beloved, often by setting boundaries and even taking on the harm. Sometimes the purpose may not be immediately apparent but if we try to shift/defy the boundaries, we may miss the picture entirely. 😅

Day 6:

Final lesson from the stencil before I reveal the artworks - promise! 😅 

Notice the plural? Well, after completing one picture I thought, "Why not do another one since the stencil can be reused?" And I did.

In fact, if I wanted to I could keep using the stencil again and again, and it would gladly continue to produce picture after picture.

In the same way, 'Love' keeps giving and giving without any concern for self. The focus is on the welfare of the beloved alone.

Day 7:

Ta da! Here it is (finally!) The first of two artworks created using the (by now all-too-familiar) stencil I've been talking about for the past few days. And how apt to end off with the final verse of the 'Love' chapter that I've been quoting from... ♥️♥️♥️

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Day 8:

And here's the second picture produced by the 'famous' stencil that you've been reading about this past week. The quote is translated from Latin:

“Omnia vincit amor: et nos cedamus amori” — Virgil, Ecl. 10.69

As we approach Christmas, I pray that we will all experience the greatest and truest 'Love' of all and that our hearts will soften and surrender to His Love. After all, as Christina Rossetti has written:

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine,

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love Incarnate, Love Divine,

Worship we our Jesus,

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and all men,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

2016 - The Year of 'Just Enough'

The week before Christmas, I was busy producing not one but TWO Christmas videos! One of them was a personal greeting for one of our lecturers by a group of friends from bible college and the second was our family's annual Christmas video (this one below...)

For both productions, I had to compile a selection of photos and video clips into one continuous video while adding captions and background music. AND I had limited time for both - just about 2 days each (more accurate to say 2 nights cos I still had my regular work and motherly duties in the daytime.)

So anyway, in both cases due to the lack of time, I simply put in the first piece of music I could think of that suited the theme/purpose without much thought to the duration and whether I would be able to fit in all the photos and video clips. I figured I would just fade it out if it was too long and find another piece of music to lengthen it if it was too short. But as I started placing the photos, video clips and captions, somehow everything just fell into place and the duration of the music was just right - for BOTH!

[Hold on! Some of you may be thinking, 'But there's a different piece of music at the end of the family Christmas video!' That was intentional cos the greeting at the end is separate from the silent movie segment. ;) But good observation if you noticed!]

Well, as I thought about how amazing it was, almost miraculous, for the music duration to be just enough twice in a row, I realised that for the whole of the past year, God had never failed to provide just enough and just in time for our family too, just as He had promised He would!

At the end of the year before (2015), we had just returned to Singapore from further studies in the UK and were down to the last bits of our savings. We had no idea what we were going to do but God showed me that if we were willing to trust Him with the last of our 'flour and oil', He would provide miraculously for us just like He did for Elijah and the widow of Zarephath and her son (1 Kings 17:7-16.) In Jan, things started to happen which led to jobs for both my husband and I within a few months (plus we're doing what we love!) And in between, before our income had stabilised, He provided for our children's educational needs through other means (including scholarships and bursaries.)

Other than finances, He also provided just enough wisdom, creativity and resources just in time so we could accomplish all that He wanted us to do. During our recent mission trip, we had to conduct worship training and a youth workshop, as well as put up an outreach performance. We didn't have time to prepare for any of it before we left as we had work to clear. But during the trip, He opened up pockets of time, which we hadn't expected/planned, for us to make the necessary preparations. Furthermore, the worship and youth training had to be conducted in Chinese and I had no idea how I would be able to carry it off! But at both events, the words just came out of my mouth and when I got stuck, He had made sure that there was at least one participant there who could help to translate!!

I could go on listing all that He provided just in time so we would have just enough, but that might take till next year! Haha! So I'll just end with this - when I was reflecting on the year 2016 and giving thanks, I felt really moved by His faithfulness throughout the year. He kept His promise and always gave us just enough, not too much that we become complacent or greedy, nor too little that we start to worry or become anxious.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

Hebrews 10:23

P.S. Here's a little New Year treat for you - our family Christmas videos from the past few years. Hope you enjoy watching them! :)