So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
—Galatians 5:1 NLT
Is it just me? Or have you, too, been noticing signs that you’re getting older?
I’m not talking about physical changes, like the “smile” line that appears all the time now, even when there’s nothing remotely funny going on. 🙄
I’m talking, instead, about how people who’ve noticed you’re getting older may have begun encouraging you to invest your time.
Like those who have invited you to volunteer or to serve on this committee or in that ministry, because they’ve confused the terms “retired” or “work-at-home” with “unoccupied” and “available.”
Sometimes, they sigh and look surprised when you say “No,” and you feel the weight of it.
They’re disappointed, but God’s not.
More likely, He’s turning somersaults of joy.
Because in choosing not to accept their offer, you’ve kept your hands free to do the good, hard work the Master has assigned you.
True freedom comes when we know what’s ours to tend and what is not.
And as our gray hairs continue to multiply, learning to say “No” courageously has become more critical than ever.
Exceptional opportunities to create and serve are increasing at the same time that our physical energy and strength may be decreasing.
So let’s choose to regard those lovely limitations that help us to discern the good and beneficial from the merely acceptable (1 Corinthians 6:12) as blessings, shall we?
These limitations free you to narrow your focus and live with a distinct purpose, anchored and attentive.
With that thought fresh in your mind, pause to consider:
- Who are you equipped to serve with your art?
- What truth compels you to uphold it with your words?
- To what chaos can you bring calm and clarity using those mad design skills you’ve developed over the years?
Then stand firm in saying “no” to most things, with kindness and without apology.
You’ll preserve your peace and your purpose.
After all, you’re not just accessible, you’re on assignment.
🖊️QUOTES FOR CREATIVES BY CREATIVES
ON TAKING PERMISSION TO SAY “NO”
Saying no clears space for your most meaningful work—the kind only you are called to do.
“Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all… can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.”
—English Author and Speaker Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
“You can’t do it all, and you don’t have to.”
—American Author Shauna Niequist, Present Over Perfect
“Saying no to something allows you to say yes to something else.”
—Brazilian Entrepreneur and Innovator Ricardo Semler
🎨PAINTING ACROSS BORDERS
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU SAY NO
Likely, you remember Italy’s Michelangelo Buonarroti as an artist who gave a resounding “No” to all other offers when he focused his time, talents, and four years of body-aching labor on painting the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by French painter Georges Seurat, is another masterpiece that came to be when an artist excluded all else from his attention.
As a result, this work of art…
- Helped launch Neo-Impressionism, a late 19th-century art movement in French painting that drew on scientific principles of light and color to create stylized works of art. (This was in stark contrast to Impressionism, which aimed to depict light and color realistically.)
- It remains a prime example of pointillism, a painting technique that Seurat himself pioneered. An artist using this technique places tiny dots of color closely together. Those dots, when viewed from a distance, blend to form an image.
- Stands among the most iconic paintings of Western art today.
Oh, what a single two-letter word and a little focus can do!
🍿MOVIE NIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
AN EXPERIENCE WORTH SAYING YES TO
Sometimes, saying no to the status quo opens the door to something far richer than you imagined.
And sometimes, saying yes—yes to a change of scenery, yes to your longing, can change your entire outlook on life.
That’s precisely what happens in Enchanted April, a quietly luminous British film where two women, both craving “more,” make the bold choice to leave behind their gray routines.
What unfolds is a story of transformation, grace, and unexpected joy. As a bonus, it’s set against the stunning backdrop of a sun-drenched villa in Florence, Italy.
By the time the credits roll, every character has changed in the best of ways—and so might you.
The film’s beauty lies not only in the lush Italian scenery. The diamond-like performances of its four leading ladies also play a part.
Midway through, you’ll feel you know these women.
By the end, you’ll wish you could join them on that hillside terrace. Or book your next trip to Italy.
And that’s a wrap for this edition. I appreciate your experiencing His world with me.
Catch you again in another 10 days!
GET THE MUSELETTER DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.
