I've been thinking recently about blank canvasses. Infact God has been speaking to me a bit about them lately. Being a bit of an artist I just LOVE the way a blank sheet of paper can turn into something so beautiful and intricate. I also remember once at a Bible study I was part of being asked to 'draw God'. I couldn't. So I just left the page blank, because in many ways I think God (or at least His grace) can be defined as a blank canvas - we mess up, He wipes us clean. We give our 'blank canvas' lives to Him, He fills us to the full.
Anyways at the moment as you probably know the journey for me is a bit hard. Some of it is unavoidable, some of it is my fault. So I need to reevaluate a few things. And it was in this that God started talking to me about blank canvassess once again.
Without wanting to complain because I am very grateful to God for what I have, but to illustrate my point - my job is a huge stress, I have an awful lot on my plate with work. I miss home. I have several mid-week activities going on, I have friends to see, places to go, extra things that I take on, people to train, and on top of all this I have just been signed up to do a Master's degree in work! Not only this but I am looking at my future and where I want to be and if I should move on, etc. And then there is God to fit in. So as you can see it's pretty crazy! Definitely not a blank canvas.
So why the heck has God being talking to me about blank canvasses? Well that's just it! I need to start each day with a blank canvas and let Him fill it! I need to start with God because really He is the biggest thing to fit on there. And if He is on my blank canvas everything else will fit around. There's no point fitting everything else into my life, and then trying to squeeze God in on top - He won't fit because He's too big! Ever tried squeezing a large suitcase into a car-boot filled with junk? It doesn't work. So basically God is challenging me to start with Him, to seek first His Kingdom, to surrender to Him, to sort out the junk, to let Him fill my canvas. He has good plans for me - not plans to stress me out and overwhelm me! He has plans to prosper me, not kill me through busyness!
What about you - if you had to relate your journey to a blank canvas - what would it look like? Perhaps your canvas, a bit like mine, is cluttered with junk so much so that you just can't seem to fit everything in. Stop. Start with God and let everything else fall in to place. Draw up a priority list of essential things and non essential things. List everything you do, then categorise it 1 - 20. Anything higher than number 12, cut out (if possible).
Perhaps you've been sat with a blank canvas for far too long and just haven't been motivated or had the 'umph' to get started. Well why not pray and ask God to help you begin to place the pieces. If life is a jigsaw - we have to start somewhere - and once we start quite often the pieces automatically slot in. In fact when I do a jigsaw I start with the easy straight bits and work my way into the middle. Why not start doing something easy and see what becomes of that?
Perhaps it's time to take on something else, or drop something. How is God painting your canvas? Do you need to talk to someone to make this happen, or pray and seek God on what He would have you do? What about asking someone for advice on the next bit to slot in?
Perhaps you are more of a 'paint by numbers' type person - you have the general outline of things, but need God's advice on how to fill in the middle bits. Ask Him. Start to colour. Ask for a bit more detail.
Let's make our canvasses shine with beauty and wonder because of the amazing things God is filling them with. Let's not be so stressed out that they look like a load of cluttered junk. Let's not leave them bare and boring. And let's ultimately praise God that if we make a mistake, He will let us start afresh.
Xxx
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