The Mystery

Yesterday we watched a man create a masterpiece in the park with cans of spray paint.  In a matter of less than a half an hour, he took a simple slap of a white board and used every day materials such as knives, rags, and fire to create a detailed and brilliant picture.  It was fascinating because at the beginning my friend and I had different opinions about what the picture was going to turn out to be.  Every step of the way was exciting because the artist would add a new feature and our imaginations would go wild trying to predict what he was going to create.
 

 

 

At one point he started blobbing all kinds of dark and ugly paint almost carelessly over the picture.  It made the person watching want to yell, “Stop!  You’re ruining it!”  However, what held the onlooker back was the obvious fact that the artist knew exactly what he was doing.  So we continued to watch in anticipation at what he would do next.
 

 

 

I was impressed at the control of his hand, that he could make strokes so perfectly with such ease and grace.  With his knife he created depth perception and one could see from which direction the sun was shining.
 

 

 

There were several points where the artist used quick and smooth strokes of fire on the paint.  He explained that this helped the paint dry more quickly.
 

 

 

We realized as we watched this artist paint his picture, it was like we were watching the Artist paint His masterpiece in the lives of everyone around us.  I was marveling on the bus yesterday about how my love for people has grown deeper with each new person that I meet.  My appreciation for the touch of the Master has turned richer every day that I invest myself in mission to His creation.  The closer I draw to the people He loves, the more I know His love; the more I can see His unique fingerprint on each life; the more I understand His passion that each one might know Him.

 

 

It is exciting to watch the mystery unfold in each person, because each one is a masterpiece of the Artist.  One can never fully predict how the picture will turn out by simply watching the beginning glob of paint.  It is exciting to watch each step of the way, as the brilliant artist creates a unique and equally fantastic picture every time someone fully surrenders themselves to the will of the Father.  There are moments when the Artist spreads dark colors over what was once simple and beautiful and the onlooker wants to question the reason He is “ruining” it.  However, one who truly knows the Father, knows that He can make anything beautiful with just a few expert strokes of His hand.

 

 

It is exciting to be in mission with God.  It is exciting to watch His Kingdom come.  Wherever I go and everywhere I have been, I have seen the touch of the Artist’s hand.  Every new person I meet is His creation, and every new person I meet helps me know and understand Him better and love Him more.  What joy there is in being a part of all that He is doing in the world.  I can’t wait to see the finished product in me and in the lives of those around me.