Resting in His Masterpiece

This weekend a group of gals headed out to the annual Park Avenue Ladies Retreat. I must admit my mind was full and my body exhausted when we left. Truthfully, I dreaded it. April is testing time for teachers in the state of Texas...my mind was not on retreating. My mind was on my 'to do' list that needed doing! I'm ashamed to admit that I actually sneaked benchmark tests in a bag to work on while there. SO...chest tight, mind busy...I headed out...wasn't even sure what I had thrown in the bag to wear. I knew I had toothpaste and underwear...so I was good to go. Threw my bags in a car with my buddies...my heart buddies that know more about me than I know about myself! Off we went. There was the normal catching up and laughter...then suddenly...appearing to morph from the center of the road, up and over the trees to the left was the most amazing rainbow. It was a sign of a blessed weekend...a joyous upside down smile...a reminder of a promise made long ago...created from the Master Creator's imagination!

And...so it went throughout the weekend. My tight chest released. Benchmark tests were left in the bag...and I retreated into His arms. My Father invited me into His beauty with my sisters and we worshiped. 

Our wonderful speaker shared her story, her strength...her tears, and her triumphs. We opened our hearts as we surrounded each other in love and trust. Stories were shared...some stories still kept safely tucked away for another day. But mostly we just loved on each other...with no judgements. God surely smiled as He watched His daughters clinging to each other with such tenderness and unity. 

This morning as our tradition we spent a quiet hour in silence with our Lord, His Word...and the nature He so artfully designed. Over the lake as the sun came up...a mist crawled across the lake, moving gracefully...in and out of sunbeams piercing through the East Texas pines. It was as if the Holy Spirit moved...touching each heart and each head bowed in prayer and meditation. His creatures greeted the day...frogs added bass tones to the tenor and soprano of the birds as they welcomed the day. The weekend that began with a happy prism of colors ended in His splendor and glory. 

Do you know how precious you are to Him? Do you know how much He loves you? Do you know it? Thank you, Father for the reminder...

The Master Potter

 There are multiple verses in The Word that refer the potter. We have often thought of God as the potter and his children are the clay...to be shaped and molded by our Father. However, the analogies run much deeper than the initial obvious. Understanding the nature of 'throwing a pot' helps to understand the complete imagery of the many layers of the Christian walk. 

The potter begins with a formless lump of clay. Sometimes he has a clear picture of what he plans for the clay to become...other times he allows the piece to form, grow and change as his vision shifts with the clay. Either way it is the hands of the potter that holds the shape of the clay. It is  the pressure of his palms, fingers, and thumbs that pulls and tugs the shape. The steady pressure...creates the shape. I have "thrown" a pot or two...it is during this step that I often lost control of the clay as it began to sway on the wheel. If the potter does not keep the hands steady and the pressure consistent the clay begins to wobble and the clay become useless...only to begin again. What a blessing that with the Master Potter we are in good, steady hands. 

It is important that the potter keeps the clay clean and free of air bubbles. Both will destroy the pot in the kiln where the pot will endure a firing. After the vessel dries...it is placed in a kiln at high temperatures. This process strengthens the pottery. Firing produces irreversible changes in the body. It is only after firing that the clay becomes pottery. The physical, chemical and mineral properties are greatly altered by the firing...strengthening the material. 

Isn't it the same with us? We are shaped by the pressures of life and how we react and respond to that pressure. Certainly, at different points in my own life I have learned much about the 'firing' process. It changes you. Perspective changes, hearts are broken, relationships damaged, and beliefs are questioned. You will never be the same...but stronger. Wow...just wow! 


There is a Japanese custom that I admire. We could learn a thing or two from our Japanese friends. When they discover a crack in a piece of pottery the damage is repaired with pure gold. They believe when something has suffered and has a history it becomes more beautiful. 



Another expressed it beautifully...only through cracked pots do we see The Light. I don't know about you...but I am feeling better about being a cracked pot! 

Inspired!

There is nothing so beautiful...so awe inspiring as the twinkling of stained glass in the cathedrals of old. Consider the artistry of the thousands of tiny pieces of glass carefully chosen to create illuminating spaces. The intricacy and the labor intensive challenge of creating such a splendor is often overlooked. Imagine, if you will, the process. It begins by simply making the glass...using varieties and combinations of metallic salts, heating them to such temperatures to create the multiple colors. With the knowledge of a chemist, mind of an inventor, and the heart of an artist...they 'played' with methods and techniques for creating dazzling colors of glass.

Once the glass was made and the design was created...then began the tedious job of cutting the glass and putting the pieces together like an intricate puzzle. It was a craft that required the artist to conceive a design that must fit snugly into the space for which it was made, must resist wind and rain...and it had to support its own weight. Many windows have withstood the test of time and still remain intact today. The purpose for the window was not to allow those inside to see out...or to admit light...but rather to control the light. 

Today the labor is not so intensive...we are not so patient. Even still the designing and creating of an original stain glass window for a church today is expensive and the process continues to be tedious. 

SO...what is the point to all this information? Are you ready? Hang on...because this is so smack dab incredible! Check out the designs below. The first design is the famous South Rose stained glass window from the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. The light begins in the middle and radiates out. This masterpiece was designed by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreuil. It was a gift from the king Saint Louis. 

The next design...a cross section of human DNA! Our Father...well, He spoke it...and it was! Each strand is unique! Hmmmm is it just me or do they favor? The pondering question for today...

Do you think the Master designer created the vision of the artist in the artist...that He created? Ponder that, my friends.... 

Rose Window Notre Dame

Human DNA

The Grand Weaver

God's tapestry...His divine and amazing plan for His world...His children...unfolds for us through His Word. His is the Grand Weaver. There is a divine design for human kind but...is there an individual plan for each of us? Does He have a plan for me? How do I fit into the Grand Weaver's masterpiece? As I write these words...it is a relief to me that He is the weaver...and I am not. He sees the threads of my life and works them neatly into His masterpiece. What peace...to know that His hands are working my threads! 

Saori...Japanese free-form weaving

There is a Japanese method of weaving called Saori...a method of free weaving. Saori encourages people to do what only a human being can do that a machine cannot...to be spontaneous, be original...to create one's own rules of beauty. It values each person's individuality as it expresses itself in each moment. No two weavings are alike. Further, mistakes are not avoided...loose threads, skipped threads, irregular fringes, and inserted bits of yarn or other materials all add to the organic liveliness, the "human-ness" of the creative art. If God created us in His image...the ability to create separates us from all other beings. The Grand Weaver then takes our individually designed patches and weaves them into the master tapestry...with other threads that are interwoven and entwined making connections with other patches! I can almost visualize God smiling as He sees generations of connectedness...maybe even pointing to a patch saying to an angel..."See those two patches...no...it's two...but it is two patches so tightly woven together they appear as one...they have been husband and wife for 62 years..." Can't you just imagine the stories in the threads?

Sometimes a weave becomes loosened, or some threads can become stressed by too much tension...new threads can be woven into old patterns...some threads are weak. All can cause a thread to break. The weaver then must stop and repair the broken thread to prevent it from weakening the entire fabric. This process takes time. The weaver must tie off  the broken thread and then tie another thread into the broken piece. When the process is complete the broken thread is stronger than ever before. What a reminder to us that only through our brokenness do we become strong...we don't like it. It hurts. It takes time to repair. But our Grand Weaver can repair our brokenness. He can weave in recovery. We become stronger. Now...no doubt when you see the backside of the tapestry you will see plenty of knots and loose threads. The back of the tapestry shows the messy scars of life. But the final front design of the fabric...is so unique and so perfect it will take our breath away!

I don't have to know what my tapestry will look like...I trust the Grand Weaver. With the threads of my life in His Hands...I know the results will be more than I could ever have imagined!

Psalm 139:13-15

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.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

God's Masterpiece

Michelangelo's creation from the Sistine Chapel 

God is the ultimate divine artist, scientist, inventor, and creator. Can you even imagine it? Thinking thoughts, speaking your vision into being...our human minds cannot fathom it. Pondering on the beauty, the humor, the complexity, and the perfection of it all is more than we can take in. Consider the beauty of the atmosphere in a West Texas sunset, the Northern Lights, full moons, ocean waves, crystal clear lakes and waterfalls. Think on the simple beauty of a daisy...or a tulip...the elegant beauty of a rose. Chuckle when you visualize God stretching the neck of a giraffe or the nose of the elephant. How He must have delighted in clothing some in stripes and others with spots or vibrant colors. Imagine how He constructed the universe to be interdependent down to the most intricate cell...designing it all to be unique yet connected.

But the absolutely most amazing thing is that in His final act of creation He designed us...to be in the image of Him! He wanted His children to resemble Him. He gave us some of His DNA. We are the only beings He created that can think logically, reason, create, design, invent, converse...evaluate, debate. Oh, I know what you are thinking...those apes are pretty smart. They communicate. Animals do communicate with each other...but humans are the only creations designed to communicate with God. Isn't that simply incredible? He wants a relationship with us...His children He designed to be in His image. Hopefully, we reflect the family resemblance. I pray that when others see my spirit and my character they recognize I am the daughter of The Father. We are His masterpiece...His glory!

Michelangelo's David

There are two methods in the process of sculpting...one is additive and the other is subtractive. When working with clay the sculptor adds bits of clay and works it into the piece. Then using tools to scrape, shape, and mold the clay, it becomes what the sculptor sees in his minds eye. The subtractive process is much different. It is the chipping away of the rock to reveal the vision of the artist. When Michelangelo sculpted the statue of David from marble he stated (I'm paraphrasing...) "I saw David in the marble and I carved until I set him free." 

Scripture refers to us as the clay...and our Lord, Our Father as the potter or the artist. He is constantly adding or chipping away at our beings to set us free...to finally design us to be all He envisions. It is painful...but always useful. To take the analogy one step further...before the clay pot can be useful or complete it must endure the kiln and the firing. Chipping and firing are no fun! The firing strengthens the pot and without it the vessel would be useless. The final results...each piece is unique. Some are elegant, others are simple...all are precious to The Father...after all He created them...us...you...me...

Isaiah 64:8 

...O Lord, you are the Father. 

We are the clay, you are the Potter; 

we are all the work of your hand.

Jeremiah 18:6

...like clay in the hand of the Potter, so are you in my hand...

God's BIG Plan!

A couple of springs ago we were blessed to be able to go to Paris, France on a dream trip. Monet has always been one of my favorite artists so I was thrilled to be able to see his original works. To my disappointment I was a little bit underwhelmed. When examined closely his paintings seemed a little sloppy to me. The colors were beautiful but his technique felt lacking…until...we were told that we were to back away from the paintings and take in the whole work. Monet's masterpieces were never meant to be closely examined but to be viewed from some distance allowing the viewer to take in the whole…not the details. It was only then that you could see the ebb and flow, the meshing of the colors, the design and the breathtaking beauty of his works. I think it must be a little like that for us when we try to consider God’s plan. We are living up close in our personal space…but God is smiling because what we view as a sloppy mess…He sees the whole of it…and it is beautiful. 

It might be a little like finding one piece of a thousand piece puzzle. One puzzle piece is  just this random mixture of colors that means nothing apart from the whole. God’s BIG plan is so much bigger than us. He designed His plan long before creation! The Word tells us even the angels were unaware. Prophets and kings of the Old Testament mention ‘the mystery’…they knew that God was planning something big…but what? Who really could have imagined it? God knew…always…He would create and we would destroy. He knew from the beginning He would hand pick a special group of people to create a bloodline for The King. He always knew He would become part of own His creation experiencing birth, life, and death. He knew His plan would never exclude anyone but included all…Israelites and Gentiles...everyone. 

God’s BIG plan has never been about just ME…but about saving the whole world. I am just a small piece of a magnificent puzzle designed by the creator Himself. But...here is the really exciting part…as long as this old world is spinning on its axis God’s plan is still evolving. The BIG Plan is not complete. More mysteries will be revealed when He returns…and takes us home with Him. Can you even imagine it? When that final puzzle piece is dropped into place…and we back up to absorb the majesty of His design. It will surely take our breath away as we fall on our knees with humility to be in the presence of our Lord, our King…our Father.

To know God's will for my life...first I must know HIM!

What is God's will for my life? Oh my...how many times have I pondered this question? How do I know what direction He wants me to go? Would God's plan disrupt my comfortable life? Have I missed it? Was there some really 'big' thing He wanted me to do and I missed the opportunity? Have I been sleep walking through life...going through the days not paying attention? Most days are not life changing...most days are just regular from the time the alarm goes off  to the end of the day routine...washing my face, brushing my teeth, making sure I have plenty of wrinkle cream slathered on before I climb into my comfortable bed and snuggle in for the night. Then the next the day...the alarm goes off...and the cycle begins again.

Some decisions have been life changing. Making the decision to marry my sweet Mustache Man was life changing. Choosing to change my major was life changing. Some decisions we make are eternity changing...and some are both. Choosing to live in God's will...means I must know HIM. How can I know what He wants without knowing Him?

Where does one even begin with God? The beginning? Where would that be? God has always been...always. Even before the first moment He chose to split the dark from the light He was. We know He existed in a spirit world with angels and heavenly hosts. It is impossible to even think about it too long...it is so mind bending. The Word even tells us He is beyond comprehension...and that He only shares what our human minds can absorb.

Here is just a smidgeon of what we know...

God is all knowing and ever present... 
Psalm 139 - You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

God is beautiful and desirable...
Psalm 36 - Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. 

God is good and generous...
Psalm 34 - The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

God is Holy...
Psalm 66 - Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! ...All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.

All God does is good...reverence for God is the beginning of wisdom

Psalm 111 - Praise the Lord

...Great are the works of the Lord;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

 Glorious and majestic are His deeds, 

and His righteousness endures forever. 

He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

the Lord is gracious and compassionate. 

He provides food for those who fear Him;

He remembers his covenant forever.

He has shown his people the power of His works, 

giving them the lands of other nations.

The works of His hands are faithful and just;

all His precepts are trustworthy.

They are steadfast for ever and ever,

done in faithfulness and uprightness. 

He provided redemption for his people; 

He ordained his covenant forever-

Holy and awesome is His Name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow his precepts have good understanding. 

To HIM belongs eternal praise.