Waiting Vessel by Susan L.

  I am filled with the knowledge of His will. Colossians 1:9
  "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." NKJV
  "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding." JCB

  My pastor approached me about doing some sort of illustrations to dress up the church website. I am meeting with him this afternoon to discuss options and to find out exactly what he is looking for. It's amazing how quickly my creativity gets flowing. Being asked to do this and by simply looking through the website as it is created an avalanche of ideas.
  I have complete faith in God, the author of my creativity. My daughter's wedding bench was a reminder about Who has everything well in hand.
  He has taught me well.
  Art is where my walk began so long ago. He filled my soul with a longing to draw and paint so I sat down at the drafting table and waited. To free a hand and mind that had been stifled for so long, I first put on some classical music and painted what the music inspired. After this, a candle in the darkness emerged and other faith symbols took shape on paper.
  After several paintings of rather stereotypical Christian imagery, I said to Him, "Okay, that's enough. Please, give me something bigger, deeper."
  He gave me the Armor of God from Ephesians. This is the book my walk with the Lord started in. I needed to know how stand firm and tall in my new found faith. And I am a visual learner. (No surprise there.)
  Rising to the challenge of doing one of the biggest pieces I'd ever done, my enthusiasm drove me  to get it finished as quickly as possible.
  It didn't turn out very well. The kneeling figure looked like it was cowering in fear. The armor looked dull and not very solid. The colours in the background looked like the darkness was closing in around it; like the darkness was winning.
  Thankfully, God is a God of grace. "Do it again."
  This time I took my time. I spent many moments quietly contemplating what was taking shape. I painted the armor according to God's vision, not mine. I was able to utilize some of the elements from the first picture. It wasn't completely off base. Using tracing paper I adjusted the figure's position without having to draw the entire thing over again. (Nothing we do is ever wasted.)
  Besides changing the figure's pose, the helmet of salvation was the biggest difference. The second version was completely solid. There was no place for the wearer to see out of. Instead, the helmet of our salvation will enable us to see the world as God sees it.
  I have kept the two pictures safe in a portfolio all these years because they were the birthplace of my prayer life. The best part of all is that even though I took control of the process in the beginning, God is kind enough, loving enough, to give second chances and third and fourth chances to get it right.
  A screwed up painting filled me with a longing for wisdom, clarity, and understanding about what the Christian life is meant to be. It shaped my heart's desire to know God's will in and for my life.
  I am so thankful He keeps giving me the gift of chances and opportunities to learn and grow yet quickly forgives me when I miss the boat.
  I think I am up to at least a thousand second chances.