Thursday, August 30, 2012

Your Home is Your Masterpiece...

The building in which you abide? It is more than wood, block, and metal. It is more than the furniture that fills its room or the floors on which your feet trod.

Your home is your canvas.


When we touch brush to canvas, we choose what portrait will evolve from the work of our hands.

Will we move the bristles with gracefulness, tenderness, and purpose?

Will our watchful eye look upon the details that bring life to the creation before us?

Will our brush bring in the light? Light that softens the edges of the shadow?

Will we see our empty canvas as an opportunity to create a masterpiece? One that will be spoken of for many generations beyond?
 
The creators of the world's greatest masterpieces created through sweat and tears. Through doubts. Through sleepless nights. Through pressure and stress. Through tormenting. And never knowing for certain that the work of their hand would actually become a gift to the world. That the outpouring of the heart and soul would be worth the sacrifice made.

God has given us, as women, a canvas. A canvas on which to paint our masterpieces. And every work we do there will forever paint our legacy onto the weaves of the cotton beneath our bent heads.


A masterpiece is always inspired.  A masterpiece requires diligence, determination, perseverance. It involves looking at the details while paying mind to the whole of the portrait.

 A masterpiece is the outpouring of the soul and heart and mind.

And as we outpour, sometimes it hurts. As we put our sweat and blood into creating our masterpiece, sometimes we feel depleted. Empty. Tired. Exhausted.



But He fills as we empty ourselves into His work. 

Our masterpieces? They are painted upon the canvas that He has gifted to us.

And the Giver always gives and fills as we give and empty ourselves. 

His wellspring never dries. There is always an abundant flow of life-giving water to fill the dry soul.

 

So let us persevere in painting our legacy upon the canvas of our lives. The canvas of our homes. The canvas of the hearts of our spouses and children.

For this is a great privilege, dear one.

Our greatest calling as wives and mothers is right here in front of us. In our homes. In the hearts and minds of our children. In the role of helpmeet to our husbands.


You have been called to a great, wonderful privilege.

This work you do? It has eternal significance.

You can create a legacy.


Right where He has planted you.

So pick up your brush with a heart filled with gratitude and begin to create your masterpiece.

1 comment:

Heather said...

You have a way of making me feel significant in a world that tells me I'm not. Reminding us that we're doing God's work, even though we don't have "high powered" careers, even though we're not out on mission trips to other worlds. I think Satan loves to pick on housewives, telling us we're unimportant and trying to send us into depression. Anyway...


thanks. :)