Belief in Me
By Ryan Wood
When I moved from Michigan to Texas as a child a package addressed to me arrived at our new home. I opened it and found a book inside. There was no return address on it and none of the grandparents would admit to sending the book. After this happened for a few more months my parents found out that it was a generous elementary school principal that happened to have met me before the move and said she knew the benefits a "good reader" enjoys. She saw a potential in me. The books continued for years and I gained more confidence at school, something that goes a long way as the new kid.
More recently Art House Dallas has been that benefactor in my life, calling out the potential that I may have overlooked or taken for granted. Because of Art House Dallas I have been challenged as a musician, encouraged as I stated my first real business venture. Through collaborative contacts, my family has found a welcoming faith community that has strengthened my marriage and bolstered my confidence as a dad. I have shared my table and living room with amazing artists during songwriter dinners and enjoyed some of my favorite artists at Stories and Song events. I have watched as artists have bloomed under the nurture of Art House and I've seen men and women breathe sighs of relief when they find kindred spirits at Exchange nights.
Not everyone has a benefactor that sees and invests in an individual's potential. I have been dually blessed to have both a childhood principal and to have Art House Dallas call out potential that even I often question. Thank you for seeing with creative eyes the things that God has called true for my life.