Life as Art (again)

I used to write a lot about life as art, but then life got seemingly more complicated and my mind got stuck in seeing mostly just the dark or serious side of life. It's easy to get stuck in that place and become frustrated with all those around you because you get it and they just don't. And you want to yell,"Why can't we just be on the same page (my page)!?"

Why. Is. This. So. Dang. Hard?

And suddenly you realize all the battles you want to fight for others expose all your own internal battles and struggles, which suddenly make it very, very hard to breathe. And it becomes hard to talk about that which you always wanted to talk about before because of that fear that as soon as you open your mouth you'll get those looks. Or worse, people will just look the other way. So the internal battle of pride and fear flare up again and shut down mode looks so appealing.

Everywhere you look there's obstacles.
But really, what those obstacles are is people.
People.
Who are supposed to be gifts.
Are now challenges.
That's what we become to each other. Something to overcome.
It paints such an ugly picture.
Strife. Tension. Manipulation. Masked in shallow conversation.

This should not be.
The reality is that each and every one of us is a complex, beautiful gift, meant to be given and received.
We are works of art, created in the image of God.
Made by vulnerability and molded by the hand of God.
There's so much magic and mystery in that I tend to forget.
I forget how our different experiences, paired with our natural gifts, have brought us where we are and not a single one of us has arrived.
How desperately we need each other.
With all of our crap and complications. We need other people to give and receive love.
To love each other where we're at and inspire us to be more.
Learning together the art of being human.