Snow, Little Things & Big Things

I wrote this post for my Horse Painter blog on November 16, 2009, and liked it so much I thought I’d post it again as today’s devotional. I hope you enjoy it!

It’s been a couple days since I saw the kind of light illustrated in this photograph. The clouds rolled in on Saturday night, it was gray all day Sunday and rainy or misty for most of the day and Monday has picked up right where Sunday left off. I do have one thing to look forward to weatherwise today…snow!

I know many of you have already seen all the snow you care to see. Winter has come very early to many parts of the US and, that leads me to believe, it’s early in many parts of Canada, too.

If snow comes today or tomorrow, it’ll be early here, too. But that’s okay. The weather is the weather and we can’t do a thing about it.

My two favorite snows are the First Snow and the Last Snow. The first one is a lot easier to spot than the last one is, but even it can sneak up on a person. The snowfall is the best part, so if I awaken some morning to clear skies and the first snow is already on the ground, I consider I’ve missed it. There’s something reviving and inspiring about seeing precipitation turn white and fall like fluff from the sky.

I need a little bit of inspiration today. My National Novel Writing Month story hit the Big Five-Oh on November 14. The goal for National Novel Writing Month is 50,000 words in 30 days, so I’m dealing with a little bit of ‘Wanna Coast’ today. My story isn’t anywhere near complete, but I’ve met the official challenge so I’m asking myself, “Why bother? You’ve done what was required.”

I have a portrait that has been resisting for some time. Paint problems, problems with adhesiveness, a less than exciting composition. The dead layer is nearly complete, but it’s been such an on-going struggle that I’m in “Wanna Ignore” mode with it. “Why bother? Nothing’s going right.”

Two sides of the same coin.

I don’t think I’ll give in to either one. Giving in to the temptation to coast on ‘easy’ things and give up on ‘hard’ things with little things like goals met more easily than expected and recalcitrant portraits makes it way too easy to give up the big goals; the things that really matter like finishing the race well and honoring promises to spouse, family and others at all costs.

He (or she) who can finish small things can finish large things.

Or, He who can be trusted with little will be trusted with much.

Too many little things lie unfinished in my studio and in my writing room. Time to change that, I think.

Yep. Time, indeed. And past time.