Art and Faith

     "Mom, I think my painting is a mess."  "Mom, I don't think this will turn out the way I want it to." - These were the remarks I heard from my kids as they were painting yesterday.  They were seated for hours already and they were starting to become discouraged as they cannot see how their present "work" can turn out to be what they imagined it to be.  I told them that life is exactly like that.  I told them to focus on the big picture and work hard on the “details” for no small thing done for God will be wasted.  

     Indeed, God sees the big picture. There are many “little details” in our life that require faithfulness. Many times in our ‘walk’, we get impatient and we demand from God the things we desire. Sometimes we view our life as insignificant. We get anxious not knowing how everything will end up.    

     As an overflow of last night’s lesson, we discussed Hebrews 11 this morning.  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval ... without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. “

     Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses (and many more) ...  They were tested (Heb. 11: 17), tortured (v35), mocked and scourged (v36), imprisoned (v36), stoned, sawn in two, tempted, put to death; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (v37).   I am sure there were times they wanted to give up and I know they all cried to God during these difficult times.   They may not have understood everything that was happening but they had faith in God. Through this faith, they conquered kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, and from weakness were made strong (v33-34).

     As my kids continued working on their canvass, little by little, we saw the painting come to life. I imagined Noah building the ark. The work must have been tedious. People must have thought how foolish he was to be building something for (around) a hundred years! Noah did not know how the ark would look like in the end but he trusted God and followed every detail, every command. It took the kids around 4 hours to finish their painting and another hour to clean up.  It was not easy. It was tiring but in the end, they were rewarded with joy and with a precious lesson they will treasure in their hearts forever.

     In art and in faith, we all need to work on the “details”.  We need to persevere, give our best and not be complacent.  We will not always see the big picture but God can.  That is all that matters.