This morning there was a dragon on my staircase. The staircase that leads to the basement. The basement where my painting studio is.
The dragon taunted me, his roars kept me in bed this morning for two hours. Stay in bed! Don’t paint! Who cares! Don’t finish!
I was awake at four, but I didn’t come downstairs to paint. I stared at the clock and watched the numbers increase until it was six o’clock. The cat scratching at the door got me out of bed.
I still didn’t paint.
Then I thought it would be a good idea to finish reading the book I was reading by Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.
Maybe there was a Philistine with poor eyesight on the staircase and not a Dragon? I could throw a rock the Philistine’s forehead to stun him and then I could cut off his head. I have several large rocks in my rock collection, and I have a sharp knife that I used to skin animals in Canada.
“The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” – Steven Pressfield
Today I am terrified.
I threw the book across the room and said, “Stop stalling, go and paint.”
Today I will kill Resistance and finish. I have to do this. I have to finish. Last year I took a knife and slashed my paintings and painted over them with black paint. A painting of despair.
I will not do that this year. I will paint with bright colors and I will finish.
Today I will paint.
Yesterday I encouraged you to create. Not everyone likes sardines and not everyone will like what you create. Today I have to listen to what I said.
I need to believe it myself.
It is easier for me to tell you to believe in yourself, then it is for me to believe in me.
And thank God I don’t have to go in the basement alone.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
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I painted today.
I cut off the Philistines head.
Go ahead. Kill your Dragon, cut off the Philistines Head. You don’t have to do it alone.
Do you have a Dragon you have to slay? Is there a Philistine on your staircase? Please tell me in the comments. I would love to chat.
