A Good Investment!

In this time of economic uncertainty, I would not say any financial investment is a sure thing. Last week, I believe my husband found an investment I know will get a good return. We were out walking downtown on Friday night at the monthly Flagstaff Art Walk. This is an event where local businesses provide snacks and drinks in their establishments after regular hours and introduce local artists by displaying their artwork. We went into a store to see what they were showing this month, and we were immediately drawn to the oil paintings displayed on the walls. They were beautiful, intriguing, and of many different types. My favorite was an oil of a somewhat worn-out pair of red Converse high top sneakers.

We saw many friends that night. Gary and I split up talking and catching up with the crowd of locals and people visiting our mountain town. The atmosphere was friendly and filled with a great sense of joy. I talked to several people who I had not seen in years. It was fun and meaningful and a great way to spend a Friday night.

When it was time to go, Gary took me by the hand and strolled me over to meet the artist. To my shock, the artist of these great and many paintings was an 18-year old young man named Kory. I knew his name because I am a local soccer fan and have seen him play in games. He is a great soccer player, but the quality of his paintings was phenomenal. The insight and wisdom projected on the canvas was well beyond his years. I was impressed! He was friendly, outgoing, and filled with the hope of his future. It was a blessing to meet him.

When we left the store, Gary said, "I bought one of his paintings." I immediately said, "That is a GREAT investment." Why is this a great investment? We bought the first painting he has ever sold. By buying this painting, we communicated to him that we see the talent God has placed in him and we are willing to invest in his future. It was a confirmation to the artist to keep on painting. It is a joy for us to have this painting of red Converse sneakers in our home to remind us of God's incredible image and how He expresses it through the gifts and talents He puts in His people.

Hebrews 10:24 says; "And let us consider how to stimulate (motivate, spur, provoke, encourage, stir up) one another to love and good deeds." In this time of complete unrest and uncertainty in the world, people need to be motivated to do great things in whatever way God has created them. We can make a big difference by seeking the gifts and talents of people and encouraging them. The greatest investment of this generation (and all the others before and after us) is the investment in the lives of people. God can use the people He created to solve even the most terrifying issues we face in society today. He can use artists, teachers, pastors, mechanics, professional athletes, food servers, realtors, and all others to bring forth the message of His grace and mercy to this generation. His Name is Creator and He can give us creative ideas to inspire us to much needed changes in our city, our culture, and in the world! We can make a good investment in the lives of the people God puts us in contact with!! It's not to late to INVEST!