Story people

Caroline Noll, Associate Pastor and Pastor for Children and Families

On a recent trip to visit my brother and his family out of state, we wandered through some funny little shops in a beach town near where he lives, and I stumbled back into the artwork of Brian Andreas (found also at flyingedna.com) that I remembered from years ago in a little shop in Salado.

I joyfully flipped through a stack of prints, trying to find the perfect one until I saw the calendars. 

Jackpot.

Each month features one of his delightful “story people” as I remember them being called.

The days of the month are scattered with the usual “daylight savings begins” and “St. Patrick’s day” reminders in addition to the more random and joyful “burst into spontaneous song day” and “stories about light day.”

I’m 90 percent sure he makes these up.

I’ve started following his story people, everyday angels, and other artwork on social media.

So many of them are full of joy and light.

So many help me come to a new understanding, or rather to come to a very old understanding that I tend to forget on a regular basis.

So many of the messages are musings, reminders of who we really are, of who I am really created to be.

Reminders to stop pretending, remember, breathe, see and notice.

He talks of love and magic and heroes and light, of gratitude and quiet and simply being.

The art reminds me to resist being shaped by fear, to let my heart balance my head, and to be grateful rather than critical. I love all the ways the Spirit speaks to us in the world.

This artwork, along with so many other messages, keeps bringing me back to the beginning.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image,’” (Genesis 1:26) and God breathed the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).

With the breath and image of God within us, how can we cease to have hope in the very nature of our neighbors in this world and in ourselves, to put away an understanding of ourselves that is shattered and restore it with an image of children of the living and loving God.

I’m glad I have the calendar with every day of the year, because I need to ground myself in my new old understanding every day.

And I’ll keep reminding you as well. You are a blessing.