Penny slapped me in the face with Isaiah 55:8 today. It came in the form of a Sharpie to an expensive quilt and reiterated the fact that holding on to my own “right way” of life keeps me from the joy of trusting my God.
As I stared at the big brown happy faces emblazoned on the Pottery Barn quilt, my first reaction was to pout and search for remedies to remove them. I didn’t think they belonged there. They didn’t fit my idea of what my quilt should look like. What Penny had chosen to do was not "my way." And that really frustrated me for a moment.
Penny the Artist found a canvas to her liking and thought it a completely suitable place to display her work. She didn’t do anything inherently wrong, in fact, knowing her nature, I can almost guarantee she did it purposefully to spread joy (they're HAPPY faces, after all)! I nearly chose to shut out her gift of joy because I was holding on dearly to my own subjective ideals.
How often do I purposefully shut out God’s joy in my life because of my vain ideals? Any time I worry, have fear, or moments of despair, I fail to trust my God. I essentially attempt to blot out His peace when I deem His ways aren’t fitting my ideal of what my life should be like. How many beautiful blessings from God have I, because of my selfish and stubborn will, interpreted as ugly burdens?
Ultimately, I chose to see Penny’s artwork as a masterpiece to embrace rather than a mess to clean up. I’m keeping those happy faces. They'll serve not only as an endearing reminder of her sweet toddlerhood, but as a powerful reminder to not despair over what I perceive as messes in life. Thank you, Penny, for encouraging me to let go of my own will and allow Jesus alone to work the masterpiece of His Father’s love on me.
