God's Masterpiece

Last year for my birthday, a few of my nearest and dearest joined me for a paint class at Wine & Design. For those who are not familiar with Wine & Design, it is a paint studio where you rent the space for a couple of hours and an instructor is present who assists you and your group with painting a canvas of your choice. For most of us, painting doesn't come naturally and we probably hadn't painted since elementary school in art class. However, with the soothing music playing in the background plus the laughter and random conversations with great friends, it proved to be quite relaxing and fun. The instructor was awesome! She kept saying, "Don't worry, it'll be fine. We can fix anything". Some of us needed a little more help than others (lol) but we all walked away with our very own masterpieces. We laughed so hard at my friend (who shall remain nameless but she knows who she is) who's canvas (which was a butterfly on top of a flower) looked nothing like a butterfly or a flower at first. Magically, the instructor was able to enhance the picture with careful, gentle and meticulous strokes of the paint brush to not only make it recognizable but to transform the canvas into a true work of art. As I ponder on this, I realize that is what God does for us. We begin as a blank canvas with the etchings of God's plan and purpose outlined for us to paint. I know this because His word says in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" & "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:13-14)." Despite the mistakes or errors that we make, God is able to enhance our lives with those experiences. With careful, gentle, and meticulous strokes, He is able to transform our failures, heartbreaks, shortcomings, and disappointments into beautiful blessings. I am imperfect, flawed, and not at all without fault. But I own those imperfections, flaws, faults & love who I am while at the same time making no apologies or excuses either. I haven't always done things right and for as long as I live, I'm sure there will be more things that I don't get right on the first try. I used to beat myself up for that but now I understand that even my imperfections are written in God's plan and purpose for my life. I am so thankful to Him for showing me myself, loving me in spite of myself, and blessing me anyway. Just like the Wine & Design instructor, I can hear God whisper sweetly in my ear saying "Don't worry, it'll be fine. I can fix anything". So on THIS day, my 36th birthday, I recognize myself as a true work in progress; God's Masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God’s Masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." When I wake up every morning, especially this morning, I thank God that the paint hasn't dried and the Artist is still carefully, gently, and meticulously stroking His brush on me.