July 10, 2019A Leftie or A Rightie?

Don’t worry ... I’m not going there! Not on this website! Not today ... not ever!!

But, unless you’ve been living on another planet, I suppose you’ve noticed the great divide going on in our country and our world. I’ve read articles that said it was much worse in the 1960’s. Maybe it was ... I don’t know. I was just a kid then, and didn’t pay that much attention. Now I’m all grown up, and with 24-hour news it’s impossible to ignore.

I have friends on the right side that will state their case in strong, defiant terms. And they can go point by point explaining to you why the left side is all wrong.

I have friends on the left side that will state their case in strong, defiant terms. And they can go point by point explaining to you why the right side is all wrong.

I strongly suspect that both sides are a little bit correct. And both sides are a little bit incorrect. Both sides are adamant about their own views. Both sides can get a bit shrill when trying to win over the other side ... or when they’re trying to clobber the other side! Be very selective when preparing the guest list for your dinner party, and be especially thoughtful when planning the seating arrangement!

What’s going on? I have pondered and examined this in my own heart and in conversations with God. Why would He make two kinds of people in the world? Wouldn’t that just be inviting trouble? He gave me some very surprising insights ... starting off with showing me how very important both sides are. And forget politics! Your left and right leanings run much deeper than that. And much more important than that.

If the righties – the practical ones – were in charge, we’d all be living in sensible, easy-to-maintain square boxes with no frills. Homework and work projects would be completed perfectly. Dinner would be served piping hot, nutritious and on-time every night. Schedules would hum along, tick-tick-tick, on a regular and routine basis. Boring, boring, yawn, yawn ... but, at least we’d be stress free and all our projects would be complete and on time!

If the lefties – the creative ones – were running things ... well, now our sensible box has a flaming red accent wall in the living room, indigo silk draperies flowing ceiling to floor in the bedroom, art on every wall and music filling the air. Dinner might be a six course meal of some delectable, exotic cuisine. Or it might be a bowl of cold cereal that you’ll just have to fix yourself because, well, we’re working on the great American novel and we’re really in the flow and can’t stop now! Laundry is piling up, the yard has gone natural and any hint of a regular routine is out the window ... but, hey, we’re having fun! At least, the writer is having fun. Maybe not the rest of the family.

I see some of both sides in me. Sometimes it can be quite a struggle just in my little one-room studio, much less the whole house! Let’s spend the week drawing and writing, planning books, articles, blogs and art to go with all those ... a week-long pony ride! Yippee! ... then, oops! Now let’s spend a day or two catching up with unanswered email, piled up paper from drawing and re-drawing ... and which pile did I drop the electric bill into when it showed up 2 weeks ago? And the water bill ... did I pay that? Then after a couple of days of catching up on cleaning and organizing ... now work is behind again! Aaaargh!! Draw, Draw, DRAW!

Balance and routine in life is very important.

So is being creative and fulfilling that potential inside.

But we’re created in God’s image ... really? Does that mean God Himself has left and right leanings? A practical side and a creative side? And what kind of pony do you suppose He has?! There’s a thought!

Let’s explore this ... and if you’re new to the site and don’t know about having a pony ... it’s just an allegory I came up with to explain the intensity creative types like us have inside. Check out On Being Creative in the Freebies section.

This month we’ll take a look at both sides that are inside of you and me ... where those came from and how both sides help us make our beautiful art. So join me this month for what might be the strangest discussion about God you’ve never heard ...