The Joy of Coloring

I have been mulling over a Mike Yaconelli quote for the past few days.  It's from his book, "Dangerous Wonder," and it reminded me of a letter I wrote years ago to a close friend, who later became my wife.  Thought I would rewrite parts of it and post it on here.

“Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring. The grace of God is preposterous enough to accept as beautiful a coloring that anyone else would reject as ugly. The grace of God sees beyond the scribbling to the heart of the scribbler...a scribbler who is similar to two thieves who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. One of the two asked Jesus to please accept his scribbled and sloppy life into the kingdom of God...
And He did.  Preposterous.

And very good news for the rest of us scribblers.”
Mike Yaconelli, (Dangerous Wonder)

Whether we are satisfied with it or not, we have all painted something on the landscape that is our life.  To be sure, if I could pick up a brush and repaint my canvas, there would be things that I would paint over.  There would be things I would cover with white, and repaint with rich and full colors.  I would use shades seldom seen, and combinations of texture never used.  I might use oil, or I might use watercolor, but there would be some changes on a very average work of art.

But we can't repaint, and what's been painted has been painted.  All that really remains is to finish the mural.  And so I stand, brush in hand, before the canvas.  Every color is available to me.  Every texture is right before me.  My mind is alive to the array of possibilities that can be woven in.

My fingers are poised for strokes that will not come. The colors run together in my mind, and the textures don't seem quite right.  And the possibilities.  The possibilities stagger and confuse an overwhelmed soul.  What I want to be sunrise and sunset can seemingly only be shades of yellow and orange running through the plain back round.

Voices from the past scream for shades of gray, and lines that have been drawn before.  Well meaning friends encourage me to use their colors, and designs that have seemingly worked for them. The enemy whispers that there really is no need to put color to canvas, but the urge deep within will not be quieted.  

Behind me stands the Master artist.  Years ago, ultimate control of the brush was yielded to him.  At times I have carelessly splashed the paint, and he has patiently restored it with a color only he can create.  Amazingly, he turns carelessness into beauty, and disaster into a work of grace.   To the delight of the Master, there have been times I have covered the canvas with bold, colorful strokes that slipped outside the lines of tradition.  I remember the feeling of his pleasure more than the ridicule of my fellow artists. 

The time has come to apply the finishing strokes, and I am uncertain as to what should be painted.  I grip the brush tighter as the Master patiently waits.  He sees the finished Masterpiece, for it has been his painting it all along.  He has covered the flaws.  He has directed my hand when I was certain of the stroke, and he has directed it when I was completely uncertain.  He has turned scribbles into grandeur.  He has chosen the colors and the textures.  He has allowed me to paint, for there is joy in painting, but he has made certain the Masterpiece for that is what he desires and it is what he does.

He is the Master and, ultimately, the work is his.  When the work is complete, he will hang it with his other works of art.  Like all of the pieces, it will be uniquely beautiful, it will reflect his glory, and it's value will be in the touch of the Master.  

You see, for while in kindness he allowed me to paint, his hand continually worked to perfect it for his glory.  And, in the end, I am convinced that both the scribbling student and the Master will be satisfied.    

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, 

and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
 So that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." 

(1 Corinthians 1:30-31 NAS)

--