A Work Of Heart
Those of you who know me, are aware that I love bargain shopping. It is also widely known that I am frugal, ok, I am a cheapskate. Thrift stores, yard sales etc. are my favorite places to shop. My eyes quickly pass over the “junky” cheap stuff, until they light on a treasure. Luckily for me, there is a store close by, called Treasure Bins. Let me fill you in. This business buys pallets of goods from the likes of Target and Amazon to name a few. On Thursday, the bins are restocked, and on Friday morning everything is priced at $10. While there are plenty of treasures to be snapped up, I, the Queen of Cheap wait it out till Wednesday when everything that remains is $1!!!! Be still my beating heart!!
Recently, while perusing the heaps of cheap, I came across a paint by number kit. I know what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t anything like those kits from the 50s and 60s. They were awful, cardboard Picassos, the finished project looked nothing like a masterpiece. While pondering if it was worth my dollar, the small inset, on the package, displayed what the painting would look like. A lovely patch of brilliant red poppies, dancing in the summer sun, sealed the deal for me. It was the dark, colorless days of January, and this offered a mindless diversion from the gloom. When I opened the small box, the first thing I pulled out was a folded square of artist’s canvas, about 16”x20”. Next the tiny paint containers, brushes the size of several eyelashes, a small picture of the completed project, and the directions. I wanted to begin right away, but somehow, I had to get those folds out. My brain said the best course of action would be heat and pressure, so down to the ironing board I went. It wasn’t 100% smooth, but good enough, those paints were calling to me. Setting the manufacture’s instructions aside, I selected the brightest red I could find, and so it began. The canvas outline held the promise of what the real artist intended. There were so many miniscule spaces to fill in, I wondered if I could achieve what he had in mind. The actual painting process took time, a steady hand and patience. As you might guess, God began to dialogue with me during the process. He pointed out that he had selected me, years ago, from a pile of beat-up junk. Like the artist, He was my creator, and I the work of art. The folded, numbered canvas, was the plan he had for my life. I was created with a magnificent potential, but I had to be straightened out, and yield my life to His vision. Not unlike the canvas, He applied gentle heat and loving pressure to my “folds”. While not perfect, he then allowed me to pick up the brush. The outline He prepared was clear, but he also gave me freedom to color outside of the lines, if I so chose. I could have painted blue in the orange area, or brown in the white, and many times I did, spiritually speaking. When those times came, and they still do, I went back to the small sample picture, found in His word, to remind me of His perfect outcome for me. I’m proud to say that I finished that earthly painting, and it turned out beautifully. God is still helping me complete the work He began, every day adding new color, dimension and beauty to me, His masterpiece. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Phil. 1:6
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