As children fashioned in the image of a very creative God, we’re uniquely equipped to uplift and edify those around us. Our Scripture Cultivations for this month are all about Encouraging Others.
Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.
It started as an assignment. These little 4X6 postcards with simple paintings and verses or words of encouragement. In her book, The Artist’s Way, author Julia Cameron tasks her reader to send postcards to five people.
Rather than purchase postcards, I decided to combine my new love for painting in watercolors with a longtime practice of reaching out to loved ones with a quick word, a kind thought, or to simply let them know they were on my mind, and I was praying for them.
Hobby Lobby, here I come!
I bought a pad of fifteen 4X6 watercolor postcards and started painting. With 10 postcards left in the pad, I continued this new collaborative experiment with God. I usually paint five or six at a time. After they’ve dried, I slip each one into a clean, white, craft sack, fold the top down, and seal it with a gold heart sticker. Lastly, I tuck them into a journal and then into my purse.
Then…this is where it really gets fun…I watch.
I wait for God to show me who to give each one to.
Someone at church.
A stranger at my favorite coffee shop.
A local business owner or someone I encounter at work.
It could be anyone.
At the least, the little card makes them smile.
Makes them feel seen, loved.
And oftentimes, they tell me it was just the thing they most needed to hear in that moment.
ya’ll, life with God is so much fun.
Here’s the thing.
You don’t need to be an artist (nobody’s hanging my little postcards in an art gallery). And you don’t have to be able to write the perfect limerick.
No special skills are required. At all. None.
The only requirement is a heart ready and willing to partner with God.
As children fashioned in the image of a very creative God, we’re uniquely equipped to uplift and edify those around us.
Not only is this creative ability embedded in our DNA, but we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is always dropping treasures into us and inviting us to mix in a bit of ourselves and then share them with others.
Our Scripture Cultivation verses for this month remind us that we are called to encourage those around us. And I’ve included some extra cultivation opportunities to help you do just that. This is going to be fun, Fig!
Here are your cultivations
You have lots of options! Start by printing off the Scripture Cultivations Plan for free.
Prefer listening? Tune in to our podcast episodes.
If visuals are your thing, catch us on YouTube for insightful videos.
And for some community vibes, grab a cuppa and hop over to the FIGS Community Facebook Group.
What are Scripture Cultivations?
If you’re new to the Figs Community, you may be wondering why I call them Scripture Cultivations instead of a Scripture Writing Plan or Scripture Reading Plan. Hop on over to this page to find out more.
