OCD or Precise?

As I was bent over the table at the infiorata class this weekend meticulously placing tiny flower blossoms into a pattern much too small for my skill a friend looked at my work and said, you are very precise. This was very easy for me to understand in Italian, but my response was beyond my translation skills, oh no, I am OCD, curiosity crossed his face, it is a disease, I said. Non copito…. Hmmmmm I didn’t know if I understood in that moment of self reflection whether my friend or I was more correct. Am a precise person, or simply crazy with Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder?

Once I had committed to working on this crazy tiny pattern, I was so focused on getting each tiny flower or grain of soil in place so that my artwork would not be a complete mess. But even as he was noting how (ridiculously) meticulous I was in this Sunday afternoon relaxation project, I was feeling like it was simply a mess, and I said as much. After an afternoon of this very fun adventure, I found myself reflecting on my spiritual practice of dabbling in the arts and wondering what aspect of this was calling to my heart.

Reflect, reflect…when I switched my pattern up to finish my project, my soul was satisfied, going away from the pattern on the grid I had before me. When I realized in my hurry to complete the work I realized I confused my color scheme, I was disappointed, because my pattern was broken. When not able to get the results I wanted, it was difficult. So noticing patterns, seeing them within context, wanting them to be precise in their form and willing to get meticulous were all good, and weirdly pointed to OCD.

And yet, anyone who has seen my desk evolve over the course of time, generally a year will see it become cluttered, with papers everywhere. Anyone who has even seen my home when I have been excessively busy will see it cluttered, clothing and other stuff everywhere. But, as my friend Carol sneakily noted when she said, “Lisa what is wrong, you are rearranging the furniture,” when I am at my very best, there must be order, or better yet precision. When life seems a mess, it is time for deeper order, even in my home. When I am truly engaged in the art of life, and a life of art, there is precision.

It is so often through the eyes of our friends, who are paying attention to us, that we see ourselves more clearly. Our friends who will share their reflections in their gift of connection. I do not have OCD, but I am a precise person who does like order in my life, in so many ways this is a gift I have that has been valuable in ministry, in art and creativity, in life in general.
Do you have friends who observe your actions and share their thoughts in meaningful ways?
How do you utilize the observances of friends to reflect on your life and your ways of being?
Do you see your behavior traits as gifts to use well or hindrances? How can one trait possibly be both?
Where do you see God, your creator, as part of your traits and habits?

THANKS TO MUSEO DEL VETRO PER FOTO E PER 'L GIORNO BELLO!!!!!!!!!