Painting for an audiance of One

Stirring...

Recently a member of the fellowship we are a part of gave everyone at our home meeting a book written by a young artist named Akiane and her mother. She began painting at a very young age and has what I call a miraculous ability to draw and paint. You can see some of her work and read a bit about her story at http://www.akiane.com/. I found as I read her life story so far, and viewed her painting that something inside me stirred. Something I had almost forgotten about.

Where the dried paint is...

Many of those who know me may not know this, but I used to paint. Seriously. Now don't get me wrong, my ability is no where near what I would call professional, no one would sell any of my paintings for even a 100 dollars much less thousands, but paint I did. I love to create, and painting was one of those outlets for me. And then life happened, got busy, moved on to other things. Sitting somewhere in the garage was a box with some old tubes of paint and some brushes.

Awakening...

The more I read about Akiane's story, I began to wonder where my old brushes were. I began to be drawn to paint again. Now, I am not kidding my self, you will probably never see my work at an art show or at a museum, or pay lots of money for it, but I felt drawn (pardon the pun) to paint, and began to feel that this was at the Lord's leading. As the fire welled up within me, I felt I just had to find my brushes. I tore my garage apart for some time, totally disorganizing it, until I found them, long forgotten until now.

Painting for an Audience of One...

So with my feeble skill, I paint for an audience of one. For it was He who gave me hands to hold the brush, it was He who gave me a mind to perceive beauty, and it was He who provided the inspiration to paint in a hundred sunsets and thousands of glistening ocean waves. I feel that for me, I must paint and I must paint for Him, to bring him glory in what ever small way I can, and because it was He who put this desire in me.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Today I went to the store and bought a few more colors (to replace some of the one's dried out) and a few new brushes. I brought them home tonight and my children were very excited and wanted desperately to watch daddy paint. Especially my second born. In passing I had mentioned that I felt God was leading me to paint again, but I did not make a big point of it. I did not promise to paint tonight, and had not really meant to paint tonight. But for some reason my big "bug bug", got it set in his mind that daddy was going to paint tonight. Well I was busy and it came time for bedtime, I told him he could watch me paint tomorrow. He immediately burst into tears. I pulled him aside and I asked him, "buddy, what's wrong?" "I really wanted to watch you paint..." he replied. When I asked him way he said "I think if Jesus told you to paint, you should paint." How could I say no to that? Out of the mouths of babes, comes the voice of the almighty. So I painted one of the Sand dollars I brought back from South Carolina many years ago. With my children huddled around, I painted a sunset over the ocean.

Why...?

Why do I paint, I mean really? I don't know. I think partly it's a mystery he will unravel for me at a later time. All I know for sure, is that it is for Him, and I enjoy it.

What gives value

For many years I struggled with my worth as a human being. Often thinking I was inferior, worthless and useless. Over the years however, the Lord has been faithful to re-write this defective piece of my programming. Through the relentless efforts of my loving wife, divine intervention and scripture the Lord has helped me to see that I have value. If I have value, then you, the reader also have value. But why?

Let's say I have two violins. The first way is made by Crescent Company. The second one is made by some "dead guy" named Anontio Stradivari . Which one is worth more? The one made by Stradivari of course, you exclaim. But, why? Because of WHO made the violin. The maker is what gives it value. It's the same with us. We are priceless, one of kind works of art because of WHO made us. We are the work of His hands, the fruit of His labor. We have undeniable value because the living God created us. It was not an assembly line creation, but that of a craftsman, delicately and precisely crafting each one of in His image.