Just like the Earth is so perfectly placed that if it is moved one degree closer to the sun we burn to a crisp, one the other direction we freeze to death, so it is with Our Creator. When I get away from the sweet spot of resting in Him, I begin to quench the Spirit.
Bringing my heart back to His beauty by honoring Him here.
I worked on a project awhile back. I think I've mentioned before how I absolutely LOVE all things old/worn/lived in. I just love worn down wood, old homes, and things that show the wear of the world.
That said, my mother-in-law requested me to paint a piece of glass to hang in an opening above a doorway of her beautiful, old victorian home. The glass was about a foot and a half by five feet. Big. The plan was to nestle it right into the rich, warm original woodwork that stood above the huge doorway between the formal/informal living rooms.
She gave me free range, except with a few color requests. She offered ideas of folk art, or even foliage. I love folk art and that would have been fun. I love landscapes and they are cool, too, but I needed to honor the style of this home. So, I remembered seeing a piece of victorian floral fabric on a pillow in her living room years ago.
That was it. I found my inspiration. So off I went. I loved this part, designing the "bones."
Then Layer.
By Layer.
By Layer.
Until it was complete.
To be honest, in the middle somewhere I wanted to quit. It looked "weird" and my eyes were so strained. I thought, 'I am totally screwing this dang thing up."
But, I persisted and kept thinking this is how it is with the Lord. As a new creation freshly bought with salvation blood, we feel free, vibrant, and our raw potential in Christ feels so clean. Kind of like the bare bones of this painting. It was simple and looked nice as it was, but there was a lot of hard work ahead for it to be complete.
In the same way as the paint sloooowly progressed, we experience the daily strain of having the Holy Spirit encased in sinful flesh, in a sinful world- we aren't complete. We are a work in progress. As the verse in proverbs says we are being made "ever brighter until the day of Christ." I know that , like this painting, I am in the middle, where Christ is adding layer upon layer of His goodness. It comes in the form of blessing, simple joys, hardship and loss. And we are to be continually sanctified until we meet Him face to face.
I'm forever grateful that if no other soul on earth gets my heart, my Heavenly Father does. And He patiently keeps working on me, making me "ever brighter until the day of Christ." Thank You, Lord!
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