Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 160

Sketch Fountain Pen Vader

I Came For The Broken

Pastor Hayward got out of the car, walking slowly. It wasn’t evident from the outside, but he was doing a mixture of praying and remembering. This was not the first conversation that he had been in, between a Minister and an Atheist.

This young lady had been in a car wreck, the doctors said she may never walk again. Agnes Simmons was the most famous jockey in the sports world of that day, having won the first race in this year’s triple crown. She wouldn’t have bothered talking to him, had it not been for her Grandmother.

Mrs Lang had to beg and plead for two days for Agnes to agree to see him. She had raised Agnes, after both of her parents passed away in a plane crash, when she was thirteen. Although her Grandmother had taken her to Church, Agnes had decided she didn’t believe in God.

While devastated at the loss of her parents, the young lady had not had any animosity over her unbelief, until her own accident. Now she not only claimed to not believe in God, she was extremely angry that her future had been seemingly taken away from her.

Agnes was polite enough when he walked in. They made small talk for a few minutes, then it grew more awkward. “Pastor Hayward, I don’t mean any disrespect, but you probably know how I feel. Rather than argue, I’ll let you make your case, and then you can go.”

Secretly she hoped he would be so offended that he would make some excuse and leave. Agnes hadn’t counted on the fact that the one Grandma sent, had been through this before. Pastor Hayward merely smiled, and agreed.

“Rather than sharing a sermon, I would like to tell you a story. You see, the reason your Grandmother asked me to come is, I’ve been in this conversation before. Like you, John was an orphan, only he lost his parents at eight years old. His Dad was a Pastor, and until he lost them, John strongly believed in God.”

“After his parents, who were on their way to Preach a service, were killed by a drunk driver, he decided that God did not exist. He was not only adamant about it, he was angry. Different people tried to get him to talk to a Minister too, but he refused.”

“The boy grew up, and seemed to be very successful. He was very smart and athletic, and got a full scholarship to college. He got his degree with honors, and looked the picture of success. The young man was popular, and people seemed to be drawn to him.”

“He met a girl, and he asked her to get married. There was a hiccup, she was a Christian. Before they were engaged, he would simply change the subject when she brought it up. Eleanor knew John’s history, and she tried to understand.”

“After they were engaged though, she had to know what kind of life they would have. She tried to talk to him about faith, and the arguments escalated. He said some cruel, and very offensive things. Eleanor broke off the engagement.”

“It left John even angrier than before. He blamed God, even though he didn’t believe that God existed, for taking someone else from him. John found himself so restless that he began to roam in his free time. He would take long drives, try different things to fill his time, and even found himself wondering through thrift stores and antique shops to occupy his time.”

“Anything to keep from thinking about Eleanor and his parents. All the time his anger was growing. One day, on one of those drives, he spotted another antique shop in the neighborhood he grew up in. The owner was named Alan Carter, John vaguely remembered the man, but couldn’t exactly place him. He was friendly enough.”

“They toured the shop, and he was about to leave when he asked if there was anything in that back room. The answer made John stop in his tracks. ‘Nothing but a broken statue of The Lord Jesus.’”

“John asked him to repeat his statement. ‘It’s a statue that I’m repairing, but it still needs a lot of work. I’ve had it for a number of years, but just haven’t gotten the right materials to fix it properly. Every time I tried I seem to get interrupted.”

“An angry smile came across the boy’s face. ‘How much do you want for it, as is?’ The man didn’t want to sell something that was broken, but John insisted. John offered him a hundred dollars, the man wouldn’t take more than two dollars for it. John agreed, and they loaded it up.”

“On the way home, he debated where he was going to place it in his home. A lot of scenarios went through his head, but he couldn’t get a way from one thought, place it in the garden. John smiled, he’d do just that, and when Eleanor came to bring the ring back, they’d take a walk one last time. He wanted her to see what he thought of her faith.”

Agnes had listened to all this, and was a little uncomfortable, but she didn’t know why. She could understand the young man’s animosity, but unlike him, she wasn’t cruel. Then Agnes thought of some of the things she said to her Grandmother, and the tears down her face. Pastor Hayward didn’t look up, he continued with John’s story.

“The primary problem with the statue was in the chest area, and the base. The hole at the foot of the statue was bigger than the chest cavity. John called her that night, and set the meeting for the next day. He went to bed like any other night, but that night he was restless.”

“Weird dreams woke him up, then memories of his parents, and of Eleanor filled his head. As the images came, the anger grew. It was so intense that almost without knowing it, he found himself in the garden. There was some bricks for a project by the porch, he picked one up and headed to the statue.”

“Screaming, he threw it towards the head of the statue, but the brick didn’t quite make it, and hit the hole in the base instead. Surprisingly, it didn’t do much damage, it only exposed more of the hole that was there. A piece of paper was barely sticking out.”

Pastor Hayward wasn’t looking at Agnes now, he seemed to be staring off in the past. “John picked the brick up with one hand, and the paper with the other. He thought I’ll read the note, then wrap it around the brick, and finish the statue. Until he read it, and dropped the brick beside him.”

“The note read, This statue is a gift to the Church we Pastor. No one will ever see this note I’m sure, but Helen thought we needed to put something inside the base in case there’s ever a storm. We had a hurricane last year, and unexpected storms can do a lot of damage, which leave people asking questions like how could God let this happen?”

”Helen wanted the reader to know, Jesus has no problem with brokenness. That’s why He came to start with, because Adam, Eve, all of us are broken, even our little baby John needs Jesus. The day that Adam and Eve fell in the garden, God’s heart was broken. They didn’t go through their storm alone, and you don’t have to either. Signed Noah Hayward, Pastor.”

By now tears poured down Pastor Hayward’s face. “I stayed in that garden all night sobbing, the anger giving way to the bitterness and anguish it was hiding. Somewhere in the morning I fell asleep clinging to that note. Eleanor came to the house, and when she couldn’t get ahold of me, came around to the garden.”

“She saw the statue, saw the mess I was in, and didn’t say a word. I handed her the note, her eyes got so big. She put her arms around me, I was still squalling, and put me in the car. We drove to her Pastor’s house, and we talked for hours.”

“I didn’t get better over night, but God opened a door with that broken statue, to let my anger, and my bitterness, and my doubts flow out. It turns out, I wasn’t doubting there was a God, I very much believed, that’s why I was so angry.”

“I asked the Pastor what I had never asked as an eight year old boy. How could God let my parents, who gave their life for Him, die?” Pastor Hayward looked at Agnes, and kindly smiled. “Pastor Thomas said I could preach you a sermon, or I could tell you a story.”

“The story he told me, wasn’t about a child, but about a Dad. About a Father Who loved His children so much, He let them make their own choices. Because of those choices, sin and sickness entered the world, and those two things contaminate anything they touch. He also told me that, while God allowed us to make our own choices, He gave us an alternative to choose over the bad.”

“He said, John The Lord Jesus is called a man of sorrows. Imagine it, God could make Himself any kind of life He wanted, and yet He chose a life that was also filled with sorrows. History says it’s most likely that Mary’s husband John, the one that raised Jesus, died before His Ministry began.”

“Christ suffered sorrows as God, and suffered sorrows as a Man. All of it for one reason, so that God could rescue man by becoming a man, and knowing our sorrows, so He could dry our tears. He didn’t hit your parents with a car, the drunk driver did. He just let a storm break a statue so that, at the right point, you would listen, and find out there is a path to see them again.”

“Agnes, atheism wasn’t my problem, I never really was one. Anger, bitterness, and loneliness were my problem, but instead of talking about it, I chose to be angry. Anger in the short term is easy, but over time it’s costly, and it will drain you.”

”You know what the doctors have said about the surgery. They say it’s a fifty fifty chance whether you’ll ever walk out, but if you allow Christ in, and the bitterness out, I can promise you this. You will leave this place better than you came in, and you’ll have a life that’s better than you can ever imagine.”

It didn’t happen that day, or the day after, but she did walk out. The doctors said, even with the surgery her recovery was a miracle. Her Sunday School students, and her physical therapy students would listen as they rode her horses for years to come.

Agnes found Christ long before she got her legs back, but that wasn’t the miracle she told the kids about. The miracle she said was that God came with a broken heart to save her. He sent a broken man to share his story with her. An now He uses a broken woman to walk to the hurting. God has no problem with brokenness, it’s the very reason He came to begin with.

Watercolor Great Horned Owl

Babe Adams

If I said Babe and Baseball in the same sentence, one person would come to mind. For most of my life, my favorite Baseball player was the man known as The Great Bambino Babe Ruth. However there was another Babe in Baseball.

He was Babe Adam’s of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both were World Series Champions, each a record holder. Babe Adams’ 1920 record of 1 walk per 14.6 innings wasn’t broken until 2005.

After leaving Baseball in 1926 as a player, he would go on to be a Minor League Coach and Farmer. Following those occupations, he served as War Correspondent in both World War II and Korea. The two Babe’s careers were very different, but each made an impact in Baseball.

As far as ego, I find no record of direct competition between the two men. They both were busy doing what they were good at. For that matter their success was not about them, but about the team’s victory. Only a team can win a World Series, not a player, no matter how talented.

Today is the 139th anniversary of Babe Adams’ birth, a man who ran his own course.

We should never be in direct competition with someone else, but with ourself. In any field you may be competing for the same prize as someone else, but it should never be about beating them.

It’s about equipping yourself to be the best team player you can be, for the good of the team. Helping others to succeed benefits everyone. Challenging yourself, rather than comparing yourself to everyone else, helps you become the best you, that you can be.

As a result, Babe Adams stepped into arenas Babe Ruth never did. He saw things through his own eyes, that the Bambino never had the opportunity too. It’s not that either’s journey was better, but that they played their own game.

Baseball fans spout a lot of stats, but the fact is this. A player’s average is made up of the hits and misses they make, not what someone else does. So I would encourage you today, don’t worry because you have a different style as someone else, just make sure you’re being the best you, that you can be. Do this, and you’ll help others win more together, than you ever could on your own.

Watercolor Hawk Eagle

A Girl From Oz A Boy From Gotham

A little girl met a tin man, a scarecrow, a cowardly Lion, a dog named Toto, and Dorothy Gale. The girl in question was my wife, and today is the anniversary of the publication of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz in 1900. Ironically the famous movie would come out in 1939, the same year Batman was created.

These two seemingly unrelated events have a very important connection in the Pruitt household. A girl from Oz and a boy from Gotham very quickly can tell you their significance. These characters have been we’ll loved companions for both of us through the years.

For my wife, who had several health challenges since she was eleven years old, this story was a huge comfort to her. To Ashley, it’s more than just a story, it’s a friend who carried her through very hard times. She married a man who understands that, because of a certain Bruce Wayne.

When I think of Oz, my first thought though I watched it often as a child, isn’t of Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, and Margaret Hamilton. It’s of a beautiful woman with a joy that is more magical than anything Hollywood could conjure up.

Yet all of those people in question, are part of my wife’s story. I would encourage every spouse to relearn their loved one’s story regularly. Most likely you will hear something new, but even if you don’t, your spouse will realize you’re still interested in their story.

I knew a lot about Oz pre-Ashley, but I know a whole lot more now. If it matters to your spouse, I suggest it should matter to you. In the movie they were ruby slippers, but in the book they were silver. Why do I care, because ruby shoes make my wife sparkle, silver ones don’t.

Making the girl from Oz happy is one of my primary goals. It tells her that I love her enough to go to travel all the way to Oz for her. An it makes her say, “There’s no place like home.”

Watercolor The Lion Regal

iPainting El Shaddai

He is The Lamb for sinners slain. He is The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah our Champion. He is The Eagle in Ezekiel’s vision lifting us higher. He is The Burden Bearer Who says to cast all of our burdens on Him. In Hebrew He is called El Shaddai, or God Almighty in Genesis 17:1, He will meet our every need!

How To Take Up Art As A Hobby

My Grandparents were coal miners, that’s where I first learned about art. It was from both of them, and the paintings hung their home. I tell you this because, when talking about art, images come to mind.

Some think of their favorite artwork, others think of it as a expensive prospect. The truth is, art is defined as the application of creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. Stated simply, art is the skill of creating a picture.

Everything from your child’s play dough elephant to the Empire State Building is art. All walks of life draw, build, and create art. I’ve seen everything from simple pottery and benches with painted figures, to large murals.

I would suggest choosing the medium that suits you. For me, this has expanded, but it started primarily with a desire to draw and paint. I had drawn for years, but my sketching really developed for the purpose of painting.

I was a Bob Ross kid, I loved watching him paint. In my late twenties I decided I would buy some acrylics and try it. I’ve found I don’t have the patience for oils. Oils are beautiful, but I don’t want to sit and wait for one layer to dry. Though the luminance of them is difficult to beat.

I love acrylics, not only for the speed, but for the vibrancy of the colors. However, acrylics still take time, preparation, and setup that I don’t always have time for. Acrylics are great if you have a dedicated space to setup and leave it setup, and can be as small as a corner or even an open area of a closet.

Ease of access, and lack of major prep led to a love of watercolor. All I need is my pan watercolors, brush, paper, and water. I will tell you, of all the mediums watercolor are the most challenging, but also the most portable. From traditional watercolor to the new styles, to line and wash, (ink and watercolor), the options are enormous.

By far the quickest and easiest option for me has been digital art. Right now I use ProCreate and my iPad Pro, but there are times I use ArtRage on my phone. Digital art has greatly enhanced my drawing and painting ability. I love the oil brush set of brushes I use on ProCreate, as it mimics oil but eliminates the wait time.

I also love to sketch with either a micron pen, mechanical pencil, or fountain pen. As a lefty, I grew up liking the look of a fountain pen, but sad because I couldn’t write with them. Lefties smear when writing, but you can sketch with one and avoid this. Plus, those times when smearing happens, you can use it for shading.

Another medium I enjoy is soft pastels. They’re messy, so I recommend using a pastel holder. Like acrylics, I don’t get to work with them often, but I love it when I get the opportunity. A pastel painting of an old car in a field hangs in our bathroom. It’s one of my wife’s favorites that I’ve ever painted.

Each of these were something I added over time, years in fact. You may find only one works for you, but each has different aspects. I enjoy different forms because it keeps me from feeling bored. Some will want to concentrate on one form to improve.

The primary thing is that any of these will help you improve your drawing ability. This, in my opinion, is still the most important skill to work on. It doesn’t mean you can’t be an artist if you’re not there yet, only that improving in this area will enhance your art over all.

I would suggest, to keep an open mind about your art. At first, it probably won’t turn out the way you expect, and that’s okay. It will take time, but each piece is a lesson, and a step forward. If you enjoy it, and it’s something constructive, what does it matter if it takes awhile?

There have been pieces that I filed in that little plastic box which holds coffee grounds and banana peels. Yet I enjoyed it while I was doing it, and I learned something for the next painting. Today I have some pieces I like, but I arrived at them through practice.

Why would anyone want to take up art? I can give you a long and true explanation, but basically it’s because you enjoy it. It relieves stress, it gives you a sense of accomplishment, and eventually gives you something to share with others.

Concerning sharing, when beginning, be careful who you share with. When getting started, you don’t need someone to tell you “it needs work”, you know that. We all need work in everything really. You need someone who will encourage you. Eventually constructive criticism is important, but not on day one and two.

The word hobby originally was tied to the name Robin. It also means a small falcon. A hobby helps lift your spirit, gives you a new perspective, and takes you places that you did not expect to go.

If you are looking for a hobby I would strongly recommend considering taking up art in some form. In addition to being fun, it can give you a fresh way of looking at life. An the art of a new perspective, is a beautiful hobby to have.

iPainting The Lamb And Isaac

Genesis 22:7 (ESV)
7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

The singular word Lamb is first spoken by Isaac in Genesis 22. The chapter before it refers to seven lambs, but the first time the word in Singular form is used, is spoken by Isaac, this excited me. The child God had given Abraham and Sarah, used the word Lamb while asking a question.

It reminds me that Jesus is built for questions, and in this day and age there are a lot of questions. God is not afraid of our questions, He’s the only One with all the answers. Notice though, Isaac didn’t get a complete answer, and Isaac was okay with that because he trusted his Father.

I would encourage you today, if you are a Christian, and you have questions about this time, that’s okay. God invites you to bring your questions to Him. Some He will answer right away, and others He will answer once you get to the destination, but that’s okay. He is worthy to be trusted, and He will take us all the way home!