• Home
  • I'm New!
    • About Us
    • Location
    • Our Team
    • Connect Card
  • Ministries
    • Outreach >
      • PB&J Ministry
      • Pinellas Hope - Tent City Outreach
    • Prayer
    • Vineyard Kid City
    • Small Groups
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Euclid Heights Community Garden
  • Events
    • Upcoming
  • Giving
  • Blog
St. Pete Vineyard Church
  • Home
  • I'm New!
    • About Us
    • Location
    • Our Team
    • Connect Card
  • Ministries
    • Outreach >
      • PB&J Ministry
      • Pinellas Hope - Tent City Outreach
    • Prayer
    • Vineyard Kid City
    • Small Groups
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Euclid Heights Community Garden
  • Events
    • Upcoming
  • Giving
  • Blog

Pain(t)

12/1/2017

Comments

 
Picture

​This weeks SPV email is written by Kid City Children's Pastor Amy Coyle.

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something." - The Man In Black (Princess Bride, 1987)

As we grew, most of our parents did their best to shield us from the harshness of the world. They made us wear knee pads and helmets, had us call "when we got there", and implemented curfews. They also told us not to talk to strangers and encouraged us to make good friends.

They wanted us to be safe; physically, as well as emotionally.

But for all of us, at one point or another, pain won and all the helmets and phone calls home couldn't undo what had happened.

I'm fully convinced that trauma and disappointment are unavoidable and inevitable. If you trust others, the potential for betrayal is there. If you open your heart, the risk of heartbreak is there. If you jump out of a plane...ok you get my point.

The strange thing is that without that possibility of danger or pain, the beauty of life would dull significantly. Trust is valuable because it's rare. Love is magical because heartbreak is all around us. And if skydiving were 100% safe, it would be just another way to work.

The even stranger thing is that in these moments of pain, we often turn to God; not for help, but for meaning. "Why did you let that happen, God?" "Why can't I find work?" "Why did they have to die?"

Each of us is the artist of our lives. Getting mad at God when life doesn't go as planned is a lot like yelling at the art supply store that your painting doesn't look right. It might feel good, but it doesn't change a whole lot. And complaining or continuing in unhealthy cycles is a lot like an artist blaming his paint and brush.

You've been given the tools (the skills, character, and opportunity), the knowledge (your past), and the blank canvas (your life). Yes, life is painful and messy and difficult sometimes, even a lot of the time. But it's worth it! And the messiness of life doesn't mean it's not beautiful.

If you don't believe me, just try comparing the value of one of those Paint-by-Numbers to a Jackson Pollock.

You are the artist. Go paint!

Love,
Amy

Comments

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    August 2014
    June 2013
    March 2013
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Heaven
    Identity
    Jesus Goggles
    Robby Dawkins

    RSS Feed

St. Pete Vineyard Church
Sunday Morning Services at 11:05 a.m.  •  5000 10th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL  33703  
•  office@spv.org
  • Home
  • I'm New!
    • About Us
    • Location
    • Our Team
    • Connect Card
  • Ministries
    • Outreach >
      • PB&J Ministry
      • Pinellas Hope - Tent City Outreach
    • Prayer
    • Vineyard Kid City
    • Small Groups
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Euclid Heights Community Garden
  • Events
    • Upcoming
  • Giving
  • Blog