There are many days lately where when I crawl into bed at night I wonder, "Why did I do all that today? Does anything I did today matter? Why am I working so hard?" I'll be honest and say that somedays what I do doesn't have an impact on anyone or really matter. However, then there are days like last Sunday that show me how much days, weeks, and months of work can pay off in a big way.
Last Sunday we dedicated four peace murals at Cincinnati COB. Yes those murals I have talked about several times over the last few months! These murals were a result of four to five months of project and curriculum planning and creation. Many nights and days were spent painting in the church basement. Taking a blank 4X8 sheet of plywood and turning it into a piece of art is a long process. You have to first teach the kids what it means to be a peacemaker, get their ideas for murals, turn those ideas into real designs, prime, draw, outline, paint with kids, finish painting, top coat, and construct frames. I cannot draw, not one of my talents, so this peace mural creation turned into a BVS house effort with Laura and Ben drawing designs and Ben and Katie helping Laura and I to paint.
Many times during the process I wanted to give up, and I did in fact scream when it seemed like there were complications at every step. All of this was worth it though when the murals went up outside the church, and the whole congregation loved them! The kids get to look at the murals and see something they helped to create, adults walking by will hopefully ponder the messages of the murals, and our neighborhood now really knows that there is life inside the church. Sometimes it takes seeing the end result to understand the need for all the steps in between. I think this is true not just for the peace mural process, but for life as a whole. I wonder now why it is such a painstaking process to find a job, set off in a new direction after BVS. I have to believe it is because I can't reach where I'm going without going step by step.
Here are some more photos of the finished murals, enjoy!
Blessings,
Anne
How beautiful! I LOVE the addition of the kids in the grass in the "Kids as Peacemakers" mural! This looks even cooler than I imagined it (and they actually look small mounted on the wall!). I'm glad the dedication went well and the work of the church and the people can be seen by the neighborhood. Thanks for helping Cincinnati COB to be relevant to its surroundings. What exciting work!
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