Specks of Paint on the Canvas of Life

There is an amazing little art technique that has fascinated me since I studied it in Art Appreciation back in college. Pointillism, created by George Seurat, uses tiny, miniature brush strokes carefully placed on a canvas. Up close, these dots don't seem like anything more than colorful, elaborated periods on a piece of paper. But when you stand further back...presto! a beautiful masterpiece appears! The artist had intended all along to use these seemingly insignificant little brush strokes to create something of beauty.

And that is a lot like life. The other week, I faced situations in which I experienced that humility I have been reading about in Andrew Murray's book. My first reaction was one of anger and frustration. I poured out my heart to God and he gave me the illustration I just mentioned. It's as if God was saying, "Jen, you are focusing your gaze on the dots on the portrait of your life. Don't you realize that the dots are not the end product? They only contribute to the beautiful masterpiece I am painting. I am the Artist. If one of the dots is not how I want it, I can paint over it. But what you see and what I see are two completely different portraits. Step back and look at the whole breathtaking picture, not just the specks of paint on the canvas of your life."