Learning from Aslan

“Polly was finding the song more and more interesting because she thought she was beginning to see the connection between the music and the things that were happening. When a line of dark firs sprang up on a ridge about a hundred yards away she felt that they were connected with a series of deep, prolonged notes which the Lion had sung a second before. And when he burst into a rapid series of lighter notes she was not surprised to see primroses suddenly appearing in every direction. Thus, with an unspeakable thrill, she felt quite certain that all the things were coming (as she said) “out of the Lion’s head.” When you listened to his song you heard the things he was making up: when you looked round you, you saw them. This was so exciting that she had no time to be afraid.” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

This is Aslan. He’s been my lockdown project for the last 10 weeks. He’s paint-by-number so the ability required was minimal. But the process of seeing him come to life has been incredibly rich for me. 

Way back when homeschooling was first mentioned, I decided I wanted the children to have positive memories of this time of lockdown and so I bought them both paint-by-numbers kits. I thought it would allow them to be creative without the need to have had an idea, for which I then didn’t have the necessary materials for them to complete. I had ideals as to what lockdown would look like, so I decided to get myself one too.

When lockdown and distance learning actually started, it was very different to what I’d thought it would look like, mainly because it was so prescribed and restraining, allowing no room for choice or creativity. Add to that a child with additional needs requiring me 1-2-1 and another child to home educate, whilst dealing with physical pain and health conditions which don’t go away, opportunity was not plentiful. Most days felt (and still feel) like I’m not able to take a full breathe between 8:30 am and 6pm. But I wasn’t ready to give up on Aslan. 

The children weren’t particularly interested in theirs which taught me a lot. When they want to be creative, they don’t want to be restrained. They spent the best part of the first 4 weeks inside giant cardboard boxes (large dog = big dog food deliveries!) and they were everything from bird hides to shops to dens covered in branches that we couldn’t fit in our garden waste bin! It also taught me to ask rather than assume before buying them something!

For me, Aslan has made me stop. He’s made me be still. He’s given me room to breathe. He’s enabled me to keep my hands busy whilst listening to podcasts I’d been wanting to get to for ages, teaching that I’d saved for opportunities which never came and new worship releases I’d been wanting to listen to. Because he required very little brain power, my mind was able to be occupied elsewhere. Learning, pondering, processing, praying, worshipping…all whilst watching him come to life.

He’s given me something I can choose and something I can control. In circumstances that were neither of those things, that has been a gift.

He’s taught me patience. This is not a quick project! Only being able to do one colour at a time and then having to wait for it to dry has meant I can justify sitting down to do it when I just have 15 minutes to spare rather than feeling I have to have hours available to get into it. Thinking I’ve completed a colour only to find it needs a second coat has shown me the benefit of being willing to go back over things and the beauty that comes as a result.

I’ve been surprised at how each colour has had such a big impact. The first colour I did was black. It instantly looked like a lion! I liked it as black and white so much that I almost didn’t want to put colour on it. But every colour added to the richness and the depth and the overall effect. Some colours seemed so random that I couldn’t imagine how they would add and not detract. And yet they brought out light and life that wouldn’t have been there without them.

Through it all, my very own Aslan (God) has been whispering to me….Patience doesn’t always need to feel frustrating; it can also feel fulfilling…Going over ground I felt I’d left behind can bring vibrancy and depth that would not otherwise have been possible…Something from the past which looked scrappy and unfinished can be given fresh purpose if I’m willing to revisit it…It’s always worth taking time to process and go deeper with God, however small the time available to me might be…There are always more colours to His character for me to discover and every single one will add richness to my life…When I can’t see how His plans will fit together, I can trust Him that the big picture He sees is stunning…and many more that are still being revealed!

I have loved every second of watching Aslan come to life. Every time I look at him, I will remember this time and the richness of it. I’ll remember the time he gave me to dig into things with God and to go deeper in my relationship with Him. But I’ll also remember these incidental learnings that came purely from the process of painting him, and he will bring light and life to any room he’s in!

“Dearest Daughter. I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours.” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy