Photo by Henry Miller
The following is an excerpt from A Place of Beauty: A 21-Day Devotional for Artists published by United Adoration, edited by Catherine Miller, released November 2021. It is available for purchase at the St. Peter’s Cathedral Bookstore; at The Bookshelf and Rayann’s Christian Bookstore in Thomasville, GA; and online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Reprinted here with permission.
Imagination and the Nature of God
by Catherine Miller
"All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things." Psalm 104:27-28
My view of God changed dynamically when I began to connect with the Creator as an artist. Until a few years ago, I never saw myself in the stories of the Bible, although I longed to be like the brave heroine Esther. I didn’t know about the artist Bezalel (Exodus 31) or Chenaniah, the Levite who oversaw the musicians (1 Chronicles 15:22). Seeing the wonder of the world as the canvas of a Master Artist has helped me find myself in God’s grand story. He painted the skies with the stars, shaped the planets, poured the oceans, breathed life into the birds. With creativity and color, he made hummingbirds that flap their wings at fifty-three beats per second and designed the abdomen of the venomous peacock spider in shades of iridescent blue and red. With humor and imagination, he made the sea monster, Leviathan, to play with (Psalm 104:26). God creates for his own pleasure.
I almost gave up being a musician a few years ago. I remember thinking, If I can’t make money as a pianist, songwriter or writer, what’s the point? Does anybody care about my music? Why bother trying? As a stay-at-home mom, I was struggling to make money in my chosen profession. I remember sitting at home one day, crying. Is this what my life is going to be like? Why did I bother going to music school? My day was filled with changing poopy diapers and folding mountains of laundry, and the sudden change from work to home left me feeling alone and overwhelmed. I was depressed. My self-worth was wrapped up in my external works and vocation.
But as my children have grown, my eyes have been opened to view the world through their eyes. As they express their curiosity and cherish the horseshoe crab, the cardinal, and the sunflower, I find that the fragrant smell of jasmine on my back porch or a moonlit walk on a hot summer night offer glimpses of the Artist. If God created a sea monster for sheer joy and pleasure, how might that translate to my artistry as a mother? Might I, too, create simply because I take pleasure in making?
My work as an artist is an act of worship. I can play piano, sing, and write songs and essays because it brings me joy and blesses the people around me. Time spent connecting to God enriches my creativity and nurtures my soul, making me a better mother. This is who I am. I am an artist, a mother, and a child of God. I don’t have to choose. Horatius Bonar’s hymn, “Not What My Hands Have Done” (1864) speaks to this. He says that our works cannot bring us salvation or peace with God; we must dwell on his work and his grace alone. The final verse says:
I praise the God of grace;
I trust his truth and might;
he calls me his, I call him mine,
my God, my joy, my light.
’Tis he who saveth me,
and freely pardon gives;
I love because he loveth me,
I live because he lives.
Our work as artists connects us to a Creator whose works are beautiful and precious to him. We nurture our souls when we spend time in God’s Word, learning who he is; when we create, reflecting his glory; and when we bask in nature, inspired by the wondrous diversity of God’s creation.
PRAYER
From the song “O Great Physician” by Catherine and Henry Miller
Creator God, create in me
A soul that yearns for you
Creator God, create in me
A mind that loves your truth
Creator God, create in me
A heart that sings your praise
Creator God, create in me
A will that walks your ways
Amen
Catherine is a singer-songwriter, writer, and pianist. Originally hailing from Miami, she moved to Tallahassee for college in 2005 and met Henry soon thereafter, marrying him after a courtship of three years. Three kids, two cats, a dog, and twelve years later, they enjoy working together, editing and songwriting as a couple. Catherine holds a BME from Florida State University and is working on her master’s in worship studies at The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida.
Henry is a poet, writer, and father of three rambunctious boys. He enjoys Nerf battles, Wendell Berry, and agri-ventures with his family.