Chihuly

Located next to the Space Needle in Seattle, Chihuly Garden and Glass is one of the city's most visited sites.  

I paid a leisurely visit to the Garden while in Seattle on my recent road trip in July, and I was absolutely gobsmacked by what I experienced.  

The artist behind the incredible glasswork in the Garden is Dale Chihuly, who holds a degree in Interior Design from the University of Washington, a Master of Science in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design. 

He also received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation and was a Fullbright Scholar.  Chihuly apprenticed at the Murano glass factory near Venice and then returned to the U.S. to begin his life's work: creating some of the most intricate and fantastic glassworks the world has ever seen.  

Below is a photo of one of the works that was created for the garden area of the exhibit, designed to look like an incredible tree: 

The fascinating thing about Chihuly's work is that he always begins with a concept that is not fully formed in his mind but enough to allow the glass pieces used to construct it to be formed.  

Then, with what seems like a random exercise, Chihuly directs the construction by feeling his way through the process, pointing at pieces and where they will go, allowing himself to let the work tell him what to add next.  

It's hard to understand the genius it takes to create the kind of art that Chihuly creates.  Having the vision is incredible enough, but putting all the pieces together to create something that amazes and inspires is beyond comprehension. 

I thought about how so many of us look at our lives and the pieces of ourselves assembled randomly throughout life's journey.  

So many of us have so many experiences, memories, joys, hurts, triumphs, and tragedies that either we've created or we've had created for us.  Those pieces often litter the floor of our soul without a way to see how they all fit together. 

I'm discovering they fit together, often in ways I never expected.  But I've needed a true artist to help me see this.  I'm talking about God here, an artist beyond compare, and who knows how all my pieces fit.  

It takes some time for us to get this, most of our lives.  But when we do, we can marvel at how nothing in our lives was wasted.  Everything belongs, even the challenging moments.  

God is creating a masterpiece with each of us. All we need to do is assist by learning to accept all of the pieces that need to be part of the whole.  When we surrender to the vision of the Master Artist, we not only find peace but also see ourselves as God sees us: beautiful, beloved, and belonging. 

May we learn to see this and embrace it.  And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.