Last week I lost a painting

There are, at times, what I will call an ‘art emergency’ – when a good friend and designer reaches out and says, “I need some paintings for a home – what do you have? When can you get it here?” I equally love and loathe these moments because they remind me that while I think I have it all together sometimes, I often just don’t. Some paintings are “done,” but their sides aren’t finished. Some are finished, but they need to be wired. 99% of them are not signed or stamped. You see what I mean.

Regardless, when she texted that she needed two specific colorful pieces for a million-dollar listing, I jumped up and ran to the studio. But I couldn’t find the paintings she was looking for, and I was looking EVERYWHERE. The guest bedroom, under beds, closets…(why would they be there, I don’t know?!) As I panic searched, sweating and swearing, I was suddenly struck with the thought that they were already on display in another location. Bingo, Ringo! I texted the business, and they were safely hanging on her walls. Phew! Problem solved.

As I coordinated running to pick them up, I also looked for two new pieces to replace the ones I was removing and, with a moment of clarity, had my heart set on a diptych (a series of two paintings) that I thought would be perfect. They were! The problem was that I could find only one, but not both. Convinced there was a gremlin in my studio hiding, stealing, and eating my paintings, I sat down on the floor and relented. Clearly, I had some things to get in order. If you remember my blog from last week, I talk about how my first spiritual gift is Administration and here was a glowing, buzzing neon sign of how order was just NOT in my court.

Part of my spiritual journey has been learning to ‘phone a friend’ and ask for help, so I dialed my art buddy, who answered immediately and reminded me that it would be found and not to panic. She suggested that maybe I look at my inventory sheet (which reminded me that I actually had one!). We hung up, and I ended up taking two other pieces over to the office and returning home to my studio.

Later that day, I texted a few friends to share my ridiculous morning adventures and asked that they keep a prayer going to help me find the ‘missing painting.’ A few hours later, as I was moving some things around the studio (an attempt at creating order and organization), I looked up and BEHOLD! The painting was in my studio, leaning against the wall. How I did not notice it before, I’ll never know. Granted, it was sitting behind a few other pieces. But still. It was there – right in front of my eyes!

Sometimes, we are so caught up in our panic that we forget to look. While searching and scrambling, my eyes didn’t see what was right in front of me – the painting I thought had just miraculously disappeared from my studio. Sometimes, the answer we’re looking for is staring us in the face if only we’d give it a few minutes of quiet, time to talk it over with a friend, or a different perspective.

I found it interesting that I had to ‘look up’ to see it. I was sitting in my desk chair and spun around to move something into a drawer near the ground, and when I looked up – there it was. My grandfather’s favorite Psalm (and mine too, now) is 121; “I lift my eyes to the hills; from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.” There are many references in the Bible about looking up towards the mountains and towards the hills. Did I remember to pray when the paintings were lost? Maybe. Maybe not – I can’t remember, honestly. I hope that I paused and asked God for help to find it. I imagine He sat, head in hand, shaking it back and forth mumbling, “sheesh; these humans”. The funny irony of the story is that the title of the paintings is “Only Human After All.” Ha.

This morning, when I woke up, I remembered that I wanted to write a new blog today, but I didn’t quite know what I was going to say. I sat down to meditate, and this story popped into my head. The title, “Last Week I Lost a Painting…” floated into my thoughts, and here we are, me writing and sharing it with you. I hope that you remember to ‘look up’ this week, and if your panic at the disco gets the best of you, I hope you phone a friend.

Wishing you a gentle week.

Heather