There are art projects to take on. There are ministry opportunities that will spring from your art. There are marketing opportunities that fit your unique gift mix and circumstances, and that will get your art out to the people it is supposed to touch. These opportunities are all around you – but can you see them?
A story in Genesis 21 shows that sometimes we need God’s help to open our eyes. It’s a long story, but I’ll make it short.
Abraham had two sons: Ishmael, the son of Sarah’s servant Hagar; and Isaac, the newborn son of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. There had been friction between Sarah and Hagar when Ishmael had been born thirteen years earlier, and now, as Abraham made a feast for Isaac, Sarah saw Ishmael scoffing on the sidelines. “It’s time to get rid of Hagar and her son,” Sarah said to Abraham. “The son of this bondwoman won’t be an heir with my son Isaac.”
Abraham was displeased, but he prayed and, to his surprise, heard God say to go through with Sarah’s plan. So he rose in the morning, gave Hagar and Ishmael provisions, and sent them away. Eventually their supplies ran out, and they were still in the desert. They had no options. They both expected to die.
Hagar left the boy under a shrub and summoned the strength to walk away so she would not see the death of her son. But Ishmael prayed, and God sent an angel.
“What ails you, Hagar?” the angel called. “Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” And after declaring God’s purpose for Ishmael, Genesis 21:19 says, “Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.” She refilled her canteen and gave Ishmael a drink.
I won’t go into all the issues about the customs in Abraham’s day and the justice or injustice of how he treated Hagar and her son. Instead, I want to focus on the rejection they faced, the meager resources with which they ventured into the desert, and the divine activity that enabled them to see His provision for their journey.
Most artists face rejection. Friends may admire our work, but we try to sell it and there are no buyers. Or we work as part of a drama group but never get the leading roles, so we get lost in the crowd. Or our band makes just enough money that we have to work full-time so we can afford to do what we love on weekends.
It can be a desert walk, and friends and relatives lose interest in supporting our expensive hobby. So we have to take our meager resources and make them work for us as we venture out into the art world. As our resources dwindle, our existence as an artist seems ready to die.
Of course, we have an option Hagar never had: we can go back home and get a “real” job. But if we’re to make it as an artist, we need to find the resources to finish the journey.
Hagar’s story says a well was already there, though she hadn’t seen it. Perhaps her grief had blinded her to the help God had provided. The turning point in the story came when Ishmael prayed. God heard the prayer and opened Hagar’s eyes to see the well.
I find the story in Genesis 21 suggestive. There are wells all around you – Jesus promises to be a well in the lives of them that believe. You can receive wisdom and direction from God that will cause you to find opportunities for your work, your ministry, or your marketing.
Spend time soaking in God’s presence. He may show you a new product that people will want. He may show you an opportunity you’ve been overlooking. He may simply refresh you so you’ll have the will to put one foot in front of another.
But make it a habit to soak, and make it a habit to ask God to open your eyes.
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