Damaged Woods

Went to a wonderful art exhibition this morning by a friend called Tansy Lee Moir - held down in Gallery 3 of the Art's Complex in London Road, Edinburgh.

Her drawings and art work are all inspired from trees - first found, then photographed, studied and then, primarily at the moment using charcoal, drawn.

There were some fabulous drawings and when looked at closely, each of them told a story - or conveyed an image that the artist wanted to show.

I was particularly drawn to the image that I have included as my blip for today - I loved the sharp lines, the "Damage" that had been done to the tree over the years and yet it still held a certain beauty - a limb, undeterred by time, still upright and proud, almost in defiance of all that had gone before.

A picture somewhat of us as humans - perfect as babies/children and then over the years, external influences shape us - for better or worse - and like a tree we change as we grow. Things get broken, damage sometimes is irreparable and yet the beauty of our lives can still, like the tree, shine through.

As a Christian, I am not immune to that damage, things in my life can lead to scars that will be with me forever - and yet, just as a tree draws nourishment from the ground beneath, and even the "dead" parts of a tree can sustain life, so too for myself I will draw my resource from the One who gives trees life - God Himself.

And maybe like the parts of the tree that are dead and yet sustain life, I will allow God to take my life - the good bits, the bad bits, the bits with damage and scars, my ambitions, my desires, my dreams and aspirations - and then allow Him to breathe life into me and then and only then will I truly be alive!