i am learning a great truth. he glories in my weakness. god does. because then, his beauty, strength, power, love and mercy can shine. then, others see the hope that is found in him. when everything looks just perfect, all shined up, varnished, sanded down...well, that's just....me. that's a cover up. and while he covers my sin, he doesn't want to cover my hurts and weaknesses. he wants to bring them out. show them. and show what he can do with them.
it's like this. i like to paint old furniture. and i am learning something about myself as a painter/creator. i love highlighting the things that some would think of as negatives. as a matter of fact, today, i dubbed my new painting style as "highlighting". it involves using paint very sparingly to absolutely draw attention to the imperfections in the piece. the crackling of the finish. the dents and dings. the carving. there's another way to paint...it involves heavy and multiple coats of paint...to cover over the past of the piece. and there's another way...refinishing....going back to how it should have been originally. but god doesn't do that with me. he takes me where i am. and while he sees me through jesus...forgiven...clean....he doesn't erase the scars and cracks and troubles. instead, he highlights them with his character: mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, love. he takes each "crack", each "scar" and he highlights it to show the beauty of what he can do with anyone. he shows how his strength is made perfect in the fact that i am weak....not that i am tough. and in this highlighting process, he can draw others to himself as they see that if he could make something of even her then maybe there's hope for me too.
we live in a world that wants to accentuate perfection. that longs to look right. but i am embracing the truth of accentuating those things that have hurt the most....because in those places i have found grace to be sufficient. it's easy to talk about how he loves everyone. that there's nothing too great for him to make good of it. but, it's not his plan for us to simply speak of it...it's his plan to speak through our very lives. showing himself by how he makes beauty...yes, beauty from ashes. water in the desert.
i am far from meaning to BE negative. i know that he wants us to positively look for the good, the excellent, the things worthy of praise. but, i'm learning....some of the things worthy of praise are the things that have broken me. cracked me. hurt me. because right in that wound, he creates beauty.
blessings.
it's like this. i like to paint old furniture. and i am learning something about myself as a painter/creator. i love highlighting the things that some would think of as negatives. as a matter of fact, today, i dubbed my new painting style as "highlighting". it involves using paint very sparingly to absolutely draw attention to the imperfections in the piece. the crackling of the finish. the dents and dings. the carving. there's another way to paint...it involves heavy and multiple coats of paint...to cover over the past of the piece. and there's another way...refinishing....going back to how it should have been originally. but god doesn't do that with me. he takes me where i am. and while he sees me through jesus...forgiven...clean....he doesn't erase the scars and cracks and troubles. instead, he highlights them with his character: mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, love. he takes each "crack", each "scar" and he highlights it to show the beauty of what he can do with anyone. he shows how his strength is made perfect in the fact that i am weak....not that i am tough. and in this highlighting process, he can draw others to himself as they see that if he could make something of even her then maybe there's hope for me too.
we live in a world that wants to accentuate perfection. that longs to look right. but i am embracing the truth of accentuating those things that have hurt the most....because in those places i have found grace to be sufficient. it's easy to talk about how he loves everyone. that there's nothing too great for him to make good of it. but, it's not his plan for us to simply speak of it...it's his plan to speak through our very lives. showing himself by how he makes beauty...yes, beauty from ashes. water in the desert.
i am far from meaning to BE negative. i know that he wants us to positively look for the good, the excellent, the things worthy of praise. but, i'm learning....some of the things worthy of praise are the things that have broken me. cracked me. hurt me. because right in that wound, he creates beauty.
blessings.
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