Adding Strength to Our Design

CWO quote for November 2, 2007

"In our lives the darkest times, the days that are bleak and black, add depth to every other experience. Like the dark bits of color in a mosaic, they add the contrast and shadows that give beauty to the whole, but they are just a small part of the big picture."~ Amy Grant~ Mosaic: Pieces of My Life so Far

Mosaic is an ancient and contemporary form of art used for domestic interior decoration as far back as the 6th century or further. Wonderfully creative artwork used to generate pictures of Christ and His life story inside churches. A form of art that stopped being used as a church decoration as far back as the 12th century.

It’s beauty is created by using individual pieces of materials placed together to create a unified whole. Part of the attractiveness comes from the material used. Items such as small pieces of colored glass, stone, ceramic, marble, pebbles, mirror, shells, and china.

When looking upon such artwork its obvious that contrast is the key to creating a strong piece of work. Areas of strong definite color against each other give strength to the design giving it quality and depth. In the midst of our darkest times it’s hard to believe that what seems to be bleak and black will someday be used to put together a beautiful form of artwork for God, full of quality and depth.

In between the panoramas of my life and the curtain was drawn for the next scene, darkness seemed to be the only color showing. It was during those times that I would read the scripture from Psalm 34:18 (NIV) that said, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

How or when He would save me I didn’t know. However the promise of Him being close to the brokenhearted was something worth holding on to waiting for the light of a new and brighter day.

Praise the Lord that during those times God was near. He was there picking up the broken and crushed pieces of my life. Standing close by not as an observer but the artist Himself. Reciting into my heart words I was ignoring at the time that are found in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “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.”

If you’ve ever been around someone who is creative they can be very interesting. As a young child breaks a mirror they are the ones that want the pieces for future use in an artwork they have yet to create in their mind. Believe me I know, I have a dresser full of them! That’s what God does for us as He picks up the pieces. Holding on to them knowing what beauty can be form from them as He does interior decorating in our hearts forming pictures of Christ and His life in our life.

Too quickly we sweep the experiences of our dark and bleak times under a rug to be used to bring out and dwell over causing further darkness. What could be used as a form of beauty adding strength to our design as a Christian becomes a self-inflicted wound that only gets bigger instead of better.

It’s time to trust in the artist that He knows what He’s doing and patiently wait as its being done. It’s time to allow Him to take the pieces of the various materials in our lives and glue them together in an artwork that beats all. It’s time to decorate the interior of our church with God’s beauty instead of using the world’s paint of discontent, disobedience, and disarray. There’s a mosaic waiting for all of us but we need to make available our heart where it can be put together.

CLOSING THOUGHT: If God can create such beauty in the artwork we see out in the world and universe today how dare we not believe that He can’t create the same beauty and wonder within us. The choice becomes ours on whether we will take the broken pieces to dwell and cry over or hand them to God.

Standing before Him daily to say, “Here Lord, create in me a mosaic. A picture of Jesus for all to see and marvel over that they too may have Him in their lives. I love you Lord. Thanks for seeing in me something I couldn’t. Creating in me something out of nothing. Giving strength to my design and desire to show the image of Christ in my life. For having plans for me, a hope and a future glued together in quality and depth in You. I love you Lord, thanks for loving me.”

Our host this week is Elisa over at extravagant grace. Drop in and see and share with others about today’s quote. Don’t forget to look out today at God’s wonderful artwork, taking a journey inward as well to see what He wants to create in you if you’d only give Him the pieces to work with.