Today’s Prayer to Passage will be from the book ‘Writing from Within’ by Bernard Snelling.

Today I pray, “Dear God, I have been sharing my thoughts with You today. I find such a comfort to be able to share thoughts with You. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time talking about my interests. I know how daunting it can be to listen to a drawn out pontification. Thanks for being here.”

Following my prayer, I opened the book to page 192:

“Are the people in your life inspiring and supporting your process of self-awareness, self-discipline, and creativity? Who is supporting it and how do they do it?
Who is not supporting it and in what ways do they not inspire and support you?
If you are not being inspired and supported, what steps must you take to insure that you are surrounded by people who will do these things for you — no matter whether your creativity is expressed in artistic terms or in your professional or personal life?”

Uff. This is tough. I sat in prayer this morning and shared with God my concerns, delights, and questionings. I often feel like if I call upon those close to me, which is a short list of about nine people, I would be bringing a heaviness to our relationship. Of course, our loved ones are there through the good times and the bad, and I would return the favor of a listening ear if it was requested of me. Contribution is a priviledge.

I guess this is the attitude I’ve had about having God in my life since I first prayed as a child. When I felt I couldn’t talk to my parents, even at age four, I talked to God. I don’t think there is anything “wrong” with this. It is a very diferent opportunity. There is power in prayer. Yet I do need to allow those around me the priviledge of contribution.

I plead the fifth on these questions, in a way. I will, however, answer them freely and lightly. The people in my life can understand, fairly quickly, that I have a streak of the artist in me. And they let that be. None of my loved ones deliberately try to halt my creativity. They do allow me to be myself, supporting my artistry.

This inspiration arrives in a bundle of ways, similar to how people-watching at a European outdoor café gives impulse to artists and writers of all sorts. All people have a little something that stimulates our ways of thinking. And I can detect that something in each of my dear kinships. I do feel the desire to become involved in a writing community here in the city. I sense a pull to surround myself with more people who have similar interests. There is a wonderful writer’s post, located downtown, called “The Loft,” where I plan to become involved very soon.

We support those around us during their milestone and hallmark moments in life. Sometimes I’m afraid to announce the arrival of my own ceremonial hoopla because it might not be regarded as appropriately worthy of celebration. I know Miranda, Samantha, and Charolette would be at a mod restaurant to toast Carrie’s new writing venture and the excitemnet surrounding it on the fictional show Sex and the City. This is what I’m talking about. What is brought to the world should be celebrated, yet sometimes artists merely create in the shadows. And to be honest, an artist will likely prefer to be celebrated in the company of other artists or wholeheartedly supportive friends, because a party doesn’t need guests who show up out of obligation.

Knowing that God is always sincerely interested in our creative pursuits can inspire us to find that support on earth. I set out to find people with like minded celebrations. There are different parties of people for common interests, not to embark on further separation; we choose to be surrounded by love. It is an absolution of any artist to be inspired, and people can play a huge role in this. We, each and every one of us, deserve to be honored and to honor that which we experience, as all is a gift from God. And so, given all of the resources available to me, I set out to surround myself with a party of people who would delight in showing up to my party.