Artwork

For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.  Romans 11:29 (NIV)

Lilly and Jake love going to pre-school!  One of our favorite times of day is when I pick them up and they show me what they made.  Since they have different teachers, their artwork is always specific to what their class learned that day.  Occasionally, they will have something similar, but for the most part, they are proud to show off their own unique creation to Momma in the afternoons. 

I make a big deal about whatever craft they assembled, colored, or plastered with stickers.  The pleased looks on their little faces get me every time.  When we get home, we find a spot on the refrigerator, where the artwork hangs until Daddy gets home from work.  As soon as he steps in the house, they take off to greet him, then sprint to the kitchen to pluck their projects off the fridge to share with him.

This week, Lilly was extra proud of her work.  She had painted an oversized sheet of paper with an outline of a dog on it.  The color she chose: yellow or “wewwow,” as she says.  I’m not sure what it was about this yellow dog, but she would not let me to carry it to the car.  She had to carry it, knuckles white from the ironclad grasp she had on it, all the way through the parking lot and on her lap the whole way home. 

Jake was equally thrilled to show me his Noah’s Ark, complete with a couple dozen animal stickers stuck every which way.  The way he lit up when I took it out of his backpack was precious!

When we got unloaded, I hung Jake’s picture on the fridge, and asked Lilly to bring me hers.  As she looked me square in the eye and said, “uh-uh,” I sensed this would be a battle I’d never win.   I seriously could not have pried her fingers off of that painting if I tried.  She was determined to drag it around all afternoon long, so incredibly proud of what she had created.

Then about an hour later, it got really quiet, which is never, ever good.  As I realized that Lilly was not in the playroom with Jake, I began my search.  When I found her in front of the fridge, my heart sank.  Her yellow dog was laying on the floor in front of her as she stood there carefully plucking the stickers off of Jake’s artwork to add to her own. 

Thankfully, I caught her before all his hard work was mutilated. I wasn't sure why this struck such a chord with me, but a couple days later it hit me like a ton of bricks.  

Like my daughter, I get diverted by what I see God doing in other peoples' lives.  Instead of being encouraged, I can get distracted by focusing on the gifts He’s given them, while I should be concerned with what He’s given to me.  Sometimes, I wish He’d given me something different.  Sometimes, I want the gifts others have. 

When I saw Lilly trying to add some of Jake’s stickers to her artwork in an effort to make it better or more beautiful, it made my heart hurt.  Especially since she was so stinking proud of that dog.  But in her little mind, it just needed a little bit more.  A little bit more of what her brother had. 

Romans 12:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”  That part I get.  That makes sense to me.  But what I struggle with is thinking that the gifts God has given me are inferior to the gifts of another.  That my gift needs a “little sprucing up” to be deemed “good enough.”

Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  God made me Me, and gave me gifts that are unique and significant to my life's purpose, and He says that they will never be withdrawn. When I let the truth sink in, that God’s call on my life is irrevocable, my heart finds peace.  The Message translates this as under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.

But there's more.
Malachi 3:6 says, “I the LORD do not change.” 

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not human that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.  Does he speak and then not act?  Does he promise and not fulfill?”

There is something so very comforting about this truth- that God will not ever change.  Especially in a world of continuous change.  He is Constant.  He is the Same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  His Love is Unchanging.

Everything in my life, whether material things, gifts and talents, my time and relationships, are all given to me by Him so that with them I may bring glory to His name.  It’s not about me.  It’s all about Him. The purpose of my life is simply about making Him look good, not getting distracted and over concerned with trying to make myself look good.

So, today my heart acknowledges and cheerfully accepts that He has given me a specific purpose, a unique and perfect plan for my life that, if I am willing, may be used to bring Him much praise!

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36  (NIV)