lostnowfoundk's Blog

A captivating story relies on its storyteller, and life has the best one. Recently, I have been playing around with 3D art and animation. The amount of work that is needed to create a good animation is incredible, and I appreciate the efforts of those who do it. In my own exploration of character design, molding and animation, I have uncovered a better story than any we can tell, and I want to share it with you.

The best character design belongs to God. Every story is about someone or something; there needs to be a character, an object or a scene. For my project, I created a flying elephant who I named Lemuel. I needed to sculpt the shape of his body, make sure his eyes would rotate correctly and assign him an armature to help control his movements. At the end of the process, I developed a bit of a bond with this character I had spent time creating. I enjoyed my creation and was excited for the possibilities of what he could now do.

Now see God’s thoughts towards creation, and towards us:

He perfectly fashions us in His image.

[Genesis 1:27] – “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

[Psalm 139:14] – “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”

He enjoys us and loves us immensely.

[Genesis 21:31] – “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…”

[John 3:16] – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

He wants us to fulfil the full potential He has placed in us.

[John 10:10] – “… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

He has given us everything we need to fulfil this.

[Ephesians 2:10] – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

He has given us a new name.

[Revelation 3:12] – “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

It is amazing to look at what God says about His creation of humanity; being made in the image of God Himself is just astounding, that He loves us even though we turn away from Him, that He has already equipped us with everything we need in life, and that He has given us His own name, created us with hope and purpose. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made, and there are no mistakes with God’s character design.

Moreover, God is the best storyboard director. [Jeremiah 29:11] says,

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God knows all our temptations and our limitations, but He also knows the potential He has placed in us and He wants us live in that fullness. There are many imitations, but only One who can give true life. In my animating, I sent Lemuel on a one minute adventure. It was temporary and it was virtual. Even in our best efforts to recreate life through things like assisted fertility and cloning, we fall short of God’s ability. There is always something we cannot control, even when we try to make the situation for life as favourable as possible.

Why? It is because ultimately, the only lifegiver is God. We can plant a seed, but God makes it grow. We can place a sperm right inside an egg, but it is God who makes the foetus develop. We can make copies of genetic material, but it is God who created it in the first place.

The Bible reminds us time and time again that life is God’s domain and as such, there are a few thins we should acknowledge – We have life through God’s grace, and we ought to submit out life to God who is the Author of Life.

[Ephesians 2:4-5] – “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

[Proverbs 3:5-6] – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”

Life is God’s great storyboard. It is not just a linear live and die timeline, but it is eternal, awe-inspiring and filled with all the hope and purposes God has created for it. Do not consign yourself to a mundane existence. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to the Creator’s design.

 PS: If you want to have a look at my little animation attempt, you can meet Lemuel the Flying Elephant here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcZPXo2j4NE