Beautiful Restoration

It sits there collecting dust—an old painting you haven't touched in years. For some reason, it never got hung. I don't know about you, but I'm gun shy when it comes to hanging things on my walls: what if it isn't the right color; what if it isn't in the perfect place; what if it won't match five years from now? My mind gets muddled and, in the end, my indecision causes the wall to remain empty. Perfectly Imperfect

We constantly seek perfection. It can cause us to raise our standards. It can push us past our boundaries. But sometimes, it can actually paralyze us from taking steps forward. Have you ever been so worried to make a decision that your analytical thinking actually handicaps you? If you feel stuck in your thinking, or if you are consumed by something in particular, you might need to do more than think outside the box. You might need to do more praying than thinking. Consider expanding your heart. If God has placed something on your heart, what is it telling you? A Flawed Canvas

Sometimes, we may feel like we are collecting dust—not taking any steps forward and remaining trapped in our own thinking. We all have dust in our lives—collecting on the projects we never finished, on the grudges we haven't forgiven, and on the Bibles we haven't read. We must make a daily choice to keep our spiritual life as clean and tidy as possible. But how can we do that when the world around us is messy?

People say not to worry, that God has a plan, and you just have to trust and give Him the paintbrush. This is true, and He is absolutely in control. But how can He paint if we do not give Him a canvas? We must be willing to dust ourselves off, open our hearts, and give Him a chance to work. The offering—the gift—is us. The Good News is that, though we are not perfect and our canvas may be flawed, He will not forget or forsake us. But if we are dusty, our true beauty cannot be revealed.

Consider a stained-glass window, which is dark and useless without the Sun to illuminate its brilliant colors and tell its story. In the same way, we must clear off the dust of our canvas—of our hearts—to illuminate His light. We must give Him time and space to cultivate His vision. After all, God makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Every part of our souls—both the darkness and the light—are all part of our masterpiece. It just might be that the picture He is painting is different than the one you imagine—beyond what our mortal eyes can see. We may not understand the full picture, or it might feel too abstract. But I believe that sometimes He places His Holy Hands over our eyes to shield us, to protect us. How can we trust Him and offer Him a better canvas to complete His work?

Finding Clarity

You have a set of skills and talents that are uniquely yours—intended for you by Your creator. We miss the mark when we suppress them or think of them as flaws instead. We strive to win the approval of God, our family, or our friends. Or maybe we just want the artwork of our life to be noticed and appreciated. But when you embrace who you are and who you were meant to be—every hue, every line, and every texture in the depth of your soul—you see that you are the only one who can fulfill God’s will for you. “For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). How can we realize His call?

The fact is that we are made in God's image, and all He wants from us is our time and attention—time for Him to work on his masterpiece, time for Him to appreciate the beauty of His art. If you look back into His inspired eyes, you will see He is proud of His work. He painted us with Holy Hands, patiently, one stroke at a time. He designed us to be beautiful, with many layers of vivid color and depths of joy. We are His treasure, His prized creation, and we all long to be in the presence of His divine light.

Enhancing Beauty

None of us are meant to collect dust. But we must be on a continuous path to better ourselves. We must make strides—strokes—to improve with each passing day. We must take our guilt and shame to him, and be willing to be changed. Step into the light and choose to live in the vivid truth. Just imagine what He sees when he holds you to the light! When we polish and brush off the dust, we can begin to see our truest selves. It takes discipline. It takes perseverance in times when it is the hardest to trust. Life can be a mess, but it's a lovely adventure, and the most beautiful masterpieces take time. So, don’t be an empty frame. Dust off your canvas and offer it to God. Let His vision of love illuminate you and bring you to life. Let His Holy Hands paint your story. And let the light of heaven pour through the window of your soul. Then behold your true beauty, the portrait of who God made you to be. Your masterpiece is incomplete and imperfect, but He picks you up and puts you on the wall anyway. Lord, form in us a heart of divine beauty. You are all that is beautiful. Let us reflect You in all that we do. In Your eyes, we are complete.