The Woman Behind the Curtain is a Mess

Lauren Daigle has been on repeat around my house, in my car, and pretty much any time I write. So much so that my youngest might know her songs more than any TV show theme song. She wrote a song for the newest Blade Runner movie called Almost Human. Lauren explains how her newest song came about in the video above.

I love hearing the story behind the story (or song).  Not sure why it is so fascinating. Maybe because it's fun to compare my own ideas of what I think the books, movies, or song lyrics are about. Or maybe I like to hear about the story behind the story because it reveals the person, her life, struggle, a little bit more. It peels back the facade of what she put out and lets you see the process to get to the end product. It makes the seemingly perfect outcome a bit more human, real.

"Embrace human nature, where we are at until He comes. That makes us almost human" - Lauren Daigle

So much of our life is spent seeing the end product and not a lot of how it got there. This often leads us to believe the end product is the most important part. We are made in the image of God, yet we are human. We were created to create too but it doesn't just happen. There is a process to our creating, our own art, be it singing, painting, writing, business, sports, parenting...the list goes on. An important part of our journey is to share with others the inside too. This is what inspires those who come after us to want to try. If they see only the outcome, they may get discouraged and give up before they even start. Let them see our human failures.

Jeremiah18:4 - And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

Each book I write begins with an idea. The first draft is scratched out, re-written, and then again. Friends, editors, and anonymous online sources tear it apart to make it better. Once it's complete, I put it out for the whole world to critique. It's scary. Books sell. And then they don't sell. And then they do again. Every time I start to doubt this journey, I have to remember this is not the end but just another chapter. I am in the middle of being made by the Potter and the clay (me) is being flung in every direction.

I want to get to a place where behind the curtain is what is always on display. I want to inspire my children or anyone who wants to try something, they absolutely can. We will be messy. We will be reworked. We will have imperfection and faults. But my vulnerability can encourage. Beauty emerges from a mess.


Engage the Kiddos -

Activity: Grab some baking clay or playdough (for younger kiddos). Roll it out, play with it, create with it or watch this video of a potter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmiziIcOq2E

Read:
Jeremiah 18:1-6 

Discuss:
Was the process to make the pottery messy?
How many times did you have to adjust or start over to make it just right?
How are we like the clay and God the potter?
Have you ever wanted to give up because you failed or messed up on something?

Reiterate:
God works and reworks us until we are just right. We can show others those places He is working and encourage them to keep going.