Painting the Canvas of a New Day

It’s early in the day and I have the whole day ahead of me. Like a blank canvas I get to paint a picture. I sit at my desk imagining different size paintbrushes sticking out from a cup that keeps them from roaming all over the table. And a white palette of different colored paints waiting for me to dip my brushes into the paint and create my picture.  

I walk over to the window, open the curtains, and see that the sun has risen. My coffee is hot, and my Bible is open.

What picture will I paint?

I love the idea of having a fresh start and a blank canvas on which to paint. “This is the day that the LORD has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

Oh, how easy it is to bring yesterday’s mistakes into the new day and let our yesterdays color our todays.  

Don’t get me wrong. All of life’s experiences are valid, both the good and the bad. They have the power to shape who we become depending on how we choose to respond. But a good artist knows how to paint his flaws into the picture.

A good artist redeems the flaws!

When my children were young, they took art classes. It was interesting to note that one teacher who had a profound impact on them refused to let them start all over again when a mistake was made. She would not give them a new sheet of paper or a new canvas. They had to work their flaws into their picture.

Of course, this mama loved it. I had one child who wanted a new sheet of paper for every mistake that was made. I was running out of paper.

I think there’s a good lesson here.

The older we get the more mistakes we make. Failure can be daunting. It can color every relationship, every day, and every canvas.

How we allow them to color our day is up to us.

For at our disposal sitting in our cups are brushes dipped in the blood of Christ that covers our sins!!!

So, here we are LORD, imperfect and full of flaws ready to paint a new day. May we grab the brush dipped in the blood of Christ and the brush of redemption that by the grace of God is able to work our flaws into a beautiful painting that reflects the power and the beauty of the gospel.