Ruined.. Why did it happen? How can you repair it? Do you even care to try? Sometimes when doing a piece of work something happens and the whole thing gets ruined. Paint thinned with medium runs down the surface of the painting causing drip lines. A bug flies in to the creamy wet paint and dies there to form a brown mass in the focus area of the painting. Your dog swipes the whole canvas with his tail smearing everything. Maybe you caused the mess by careless mixing of colors and everything turns to muddy gray.
There is always redemption. Careful manipulation of the layers of paint can disguise the drips. Scrape away the bug and reapply the area to cover the mass. Catastrophic messes take more. Sometimes the entire work has to be painted over, covered with a fresh coat of gesso or base color.
That is when you have a new beginning. Another chance to "create" a new and different piece. Better than the old because of lessons learned about protecting the work and choosing more carefully. This time masterpiece.
God works on us in the same manner. Scraping away the bugs and manipulating the layers of our person to make us into His perfect image. We can't understand why he will totally renew and transform what has previously been catastrophically destroyed. That is where grace comes in.
In turning our focus on Him and what He has for us we are covered by his blood and turned into His Master-piece.
Philippians 3:21
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this is moving and profound....your paintings are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteYou are a talented artist, but I most appreciate today the way you painted a mental picture for me. Thank God that he sees a masterpiece in me when I only see a muddied canvas. Thank God that he sees how to draw a sweeping stroke through the murky layers and add color, life and meaning, forgiveness, grace, mercy and healing.
I appreciate the work the Master Artist is sculpting in your life through your work and words, my friend.
Mary Ellen