Painter's Hands — adele pena

I love to paint. I grew up watching my mom paint and over the years I have developed a love for it. I am not the best, but something about it calms me. When I paint, my mind is relaxed from everything that I am dealing with and I can just focus on creating something.

I also make a complete mess every time. I get paint everywhere! It's all over my hands, my legs, my face, and the table!! I have tried to be super careful, but it doesn't matter. I will not leave my paint session unmarked.

Today was no different. I spent about 3 hours this morning just painting and it was so peaceful. I finished and started picking up all of my stuff and I stopped and just stared at my hands. They were completely covered in paint. I smiled and thought to myself, "Why do I always paint my hands and the canvas?" The very thing I was trying to create left a mark on me. There is no doubt if someone had walked in at that moment they would know that I had painted. They wouldn't have even had to know me or know that I liked painting. The evidence was all over me.

-----

God created absolutely everything. He created this world we see. He created you and me. And we, as His creation are forever imprinted on His hands. His hands are marked with us. No one else gets the glory for the beautiful workmanship that you are but Him. Just like no one gets the credit for creating something that I painted. The things that God does in you and through you are a testimony of who He is, not who we are. It is not in my own doing that I can be patient, gentle, or that I can even love purely. It is only because God has created those things in me.

This season that God has me in has been one of refinement and creation. God has been creating things in me that are completely new and wonderful. I see my character changing in a lot of different ways. I see boldness in areas where I lacked. I see confidence in areas where there was once insecurity. I see gentleness where there was once sarcasm. I am able to focus on the good where I was once only able to dwell on the hurt. These are all very beautiful things that I and no one else has credit in doing in me. The really cool thing though, is that myself, and everyone that I am surrounded by, gets to share in this new creation I am becoming through Christ.

You see, I didn't become this person who all of a sudden knows how to communicate or all of a sudden is secure in who she is. The truth in fact is that I was pretty much awful at communicating my thoughts and feelings. Not because I wanted to be, I just didn't know how. And, I lacked confidence in who God created me to be. I believed that everyone who told me I was beautiful believed it. I just didn't believe it myself exactly. These two areas of my life I have prayed for God to change in me numerous amounts of time. The thing was though, I was praying that I would be made new in these areas for other people, not for Him. I can never expect to communicate with people I love if I can't with my Heavenly Father. It wasn't until I was able to get vulnerable with God that I was able to effectively communicate with others. And, the way I see myself now, I see through the eyes of Christ. This means no one else gets the glory for the way I see myself. Because, it is not from their words that I believe, but from God's truth that I know.

God's hands are marked with everything He has created inside of me. But, the painting He has made in me is on display for others to see and share in.

-----

You are a beautiful masterpiece designed by God. Don't steal His glory for the creation you are and are becoming and give it to someone else, or to yourself. Instead, give Him praise and honor, and let others marvel at the wonder of Christ and share in the blessing that you are.

[Isaiah 64:8 AMP]

"Yet, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand."