You Are A Masterpiece!

Besides being a artists, wife, and mother, I work part time as a lunch lady at our local middle school. One day I was washing down the tables in the cafeteria, when one of the girls I painted a mural for a few years ago started talking to me. She said that her sister painted over the mural I did for her. "yeah she painted it all purple." My jaw...dropped!!" I could barely utter the word..."what??" "Why?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and went on her merry way. I just stood there, and a flood of memories, and emotions came over me.

 I remember how excited I felt about that opportunity to paint a underwater mural. I  studied different techniques of blending paints, researching different underwater creatures and coral, studying the reflection the light gives underwater, and all the time I took to prepare for painting this mural. I also remember my aching body from the physical effort it took to paint it. The bending, stretching, and holding my breath hoping paints would blend the way I wanted them to. But what I remember the most was the joy!! The indescribable joy I felt when I finished. The smile that came across my face as I stepped back to take the final look of this mural. (see below for the mural)  It was so beautiful. It was breathtaking. Oh how I love using this talent that God has blessed me with!!

Sigh...but now all covered up...with purple..(gulp) paint...gone... in one swipe of a brush, or roll of a roller. My heart broke. :( (Now don't get me wrong I know it's totally up to the client to do what they want when they buy my art, it's theirs after they pay for it.) Free will...yep...I get it!

But my conversation with that girl, got me thinking of God. I wonder if that's the way He feels when we destroy His creation. When we hurt our bodies with drugs, alcohol, smoking, overeating, etc. What this must do to the Fathers heart. I also wonder, does it hurt Him when we look in the mirror and we hate ourselves? We hate the way we look, it may be your hair, your nose, your smile, your butt, your stomach. Whatever it is that you don't like about yourself. What this must do to the Father's heart, to hear your rip on yourself. When we are made in His very image. 

I imagine Him taking great care in creating us. Just like I do to create a piece of art. You are like a blank canvas to Him. I can picture His face smiling saying I'm going to give her blue eyes like ocean, or I will give Him strong shoulders for heavy work. In Eph 2:10 it says. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

For years I had a horrible self image. I let satan whisper to me and tell me lies about myself. It wasn't til I started digging into God's word and it revealed to me how much God loves me. Let me encourage you stop ripping on yourself, stop hurting yourself! You are created for SO much more!! You are God's masterpiece, created in HIS image...and as my little girl says.."God don't make junk!" Amen!!