Her little brother is visiting his Mimi for the week and my 4 year old jumps at the opportunity for a rare uninterrupted moment to paint.
Hunched over the 1970s era leaf table with a wide swath of drawing paper taped down, her paint brushes littered among the homemade sticky paints, she diligently creates her work of art.
To me, it looks like a big sticky jumbled mess. Colors are everywhere; paint is on her hands, the table, the floor, her hair…and a bit on the paper.
I know better than to ask “What is it?” and instead say, “Tell me about it, doodle.” {Doodle has been her nickname since the beginning. My little artist.}
“It’s a rainbow mommy. You know, like God’s promises.”
Indeed it is.
Her sweet voice and messy art reminds this weary soul of the truth of God’s work in our lives.
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
He is the promise maker and the promise keeper. He takes our broken pieces, our messy, and turns it into a masterpiece used for His glory.
Although we may not see the rainbow in the messy art, it’s not our job to see the full picture. The Bible tells us we can’t see the scope of God’s work, its fullness.
Instead, it’s our job to trust the artist and walk with Him one day at a time. And He will reveal the rainbow, the beauty in our mess, as we say “yes” to Him.
*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she empowers bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Paint.” Also sharing with Essential Fridays, Fridays Unfolded, The Weekend Brew, Recommendation Saturday, Sacred Speco, Beauty Observed, and Sunday Stillness.
Also…while we’re on the topic of saying “yes”…
I just started reading the new book by Kristen Welch, Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Sparkly, Safe Faith is No Longer Enough. It’s a pre-release review copy and the book launches May 1 (although you might can find it in stores sooner & pre-order on Amazon). I started crying in the Introduction ya’ll, so I know this one’s a good one that will challenge me in ways I need it. Can’t wait to share more about it with you once I finish! In the meantime, a whole tribe of people are sharing how they’re saying “yes” to God in the middle of their mess – check it out on Twitter.
Stopping by from FMF. Children’s art always captures me, their freedom is the best. I appreciate your line: “trust the artist”. In our area of ministry with people in recovery they say trust the process. I find more meaning when I can think of it the way you say and trust the artist. Thanks for sharing.
I love the line, “it’s not our job to see the full picture.” Life is a little like a mural. While we’re looking at one part, we can’t see what’s at the other end. If we focus on one little detail in the picture, we miss other beautiful sections of the painting. Visiting from FMF.
Yes, I have heard that before – trust the process. But I agree, learning to trust the Ultimate Artist is so freeing!
Love this SO much. I have a four year old who loves to paint, too, and she doesn’t really paint…things. She just paints. She just paints whatever she feels and with whatever colors she chooses. I love watching her figure out what she’s going to do next and I actually have some of her paintings hanging on the wall above her art center. This post reminds me to see the beauty in all things, even when I feel like there is no beauty. Just like we may not know what our precious four year olds are painting and creating, we don’t always know what God is doing and what He is up to. But He asks us to trust Him and that’s always the hardest part, isn’t it? Hopping over from FMF!
Yes, there really is beauty in everything, even the things we don’t see it in (like ourselves!). I try to constantly remind myself that I’m made in the image of God and he sure doesn’t make mistakes or ugly art!
My favorite line is “it’s not our job to see the full picture”. So often I want to see more than He is showing me but He knows best. I just have to remind myself of that.
Yes, I think sometimes if we knew the full picture we’d be absolutely terrified or at least confused. He knows what’s best and it’s better for us all around to trust that.
I call my little one Doodle too 🙂
This was beautiful :O)
Aww, yay! Love her nickname. Sometimes it morphs into “Doodle Bug”. Wonder how many more years I can get away with calling her that? 🙂
“It’s not our job to see the full picture,” oh, how true I find these words! Thank you for the reminder to settle into the mess and let God create the beauty. Cheering you on from the FMF sidelines :).
Thanks Anita! So glad these words were a blessing to you!
“…it’s our job to trust the artist and walk with Him one day at a time. And He will reveal the rainbow, the beauty in our mess, as we say “yes” to Him.”
Oh Amen, my friend! This is so true! I am still waiting for my pre-copy of Rhinestone Jesus to arrive and have heard from several friends that it will require a box of kleenex from the start!
Oh, definitely have the Kleenex handy!!
I’m glad that God sees the big picture, because even when I want to sometimes he doesn’t want me to yet.
Yes, sometimes we would be terrified if we saw the whole picture. So glad He knows what’s best for us, even when we don’t understand it.
I love that she said a rainbow like God’s promises. Isn’t it just like a child to remind us of the truth! Thank you for sharing this! xoxo
Yes, I’ve come to realize that having children is a key way God grows us!
So nice to have found your lovely blog over at Lisa Jos. Great thoughts about the Promise Maker and the Promise Keeper, life is indeed full of breathtakingly beautiful purpose and promise.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I am thankful that God can use my messy art for His glory. I am thankful I don’t have to have it all figured out, that He sees the big picture even when I can’t.
Love this! Great reminder that we need to look for the beauty in the mess, in the every day and not worry about the big picture or what it will look like in the end. I think that’s the hardest part of saying “yes” – the not knowing how the painting will turn out in the end.
Absolutely! The hard part is not knowing the outcome. We just have to remember that great works of art are painted one brush stroke at a time!