A BEAUTIFUL BLESSING

Recently my mailbox contained an unexpected gift from a woman in Tennessee who I have never met in person. We connected through social media, and then she started reading my weekly reflections. We quickly became prayer warriors for each other, which has been a great blessing for us both. It seems at just the right time, one of us will email to say we are thinking of the other and lifting her in prayer. Prayer is a wonderful gift God has given us to share!

 

The note with the gift said she was doing art therapy with some rocks she was doodling with. “When I finished this one, I noticed it was in the shape of a heart and thought of you and God whispered…’that’s who I wanted you to paint it for!!’ Ain’t He so good?” Her note also mentioned I could use this heart rock as a paper weight when writing “your NEXT book.”

 

A beautiful blessing ~ A heart rock

 

Scripture on back of heart rock

 

She, too, knows how God sends me hearts to remind me of His great love for me and to share that love with others, especially as I recently sent her my God’s Love Illuminated book. Her note also made me smile, as in a few weeks I had plans to go away to a remote place to start book #3! It was another confirmation from the Lord. God truly makes me smile at His goodness and reminders.

 

I was not familiar with the verse listed on the back of the heart rock, but saw how “perfect” it was for a few reasons.

The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord’”  –1 Kings 20:28  (NIV)

The background to this verse is that the Israelites were in a battle with the Arameans. The Arameans thought Israel’s God would only be victorious if the battle took place in the hills. They soon found out the error in their thinking, as the man of God shared with this message. This verse speaks to my heart because it reminds me how sovereign God truly is. He is the Lord of everything in nature and on this earth. Everything is under His dominion.

 

Gazing on the beauty of this masterpiece, the hills reminded me of the Judean Desert I experienced recently in the Holy Land. I could not help but marvel at the colors on this rock. I emailed her to tell her that pink and purple just happen to be my favorite colors, which she did not know! I ended the email with “I can’t stop smiling.”

I will share excerpts from her return email that confirms the Scripture about the sovereignty of God.

“And He just keeps on! Now I can’t quit smiling. I just had a really good laugh with God that totally warmed my heart!! I could just feel Him hugging me!!!

Anyway, after I finished it, I wanted to seal it for protection so the colors wouldn’t fade or get chipped away. So I decided to put a coat of polyurethane on it. As I was painting it on, I started noticing that it was mixing with my colors even though they were dry!! I went into a panic!! Got so upset with myself and thought I had messed it up completely!! I grabbed my other brush and started trying to remove as much of the poly as I could. After it dried I thought, “Well, it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would. I guess it will be ok.”

 

Heart rock before polyurethane

 

YES GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!! He knew exactly what He was doing from start to finish on something as simple as a rock!! I feel so humbled!!! Can’t quit smiling either!”

 

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  –Romans 8:28  (NLT)

I thought of this verse, which is my favorite Bible verse, in relation to the story my friend shared. She thought putting the polyurethane on was “ruining” the colors she had envisioned for the rock. Little did she know at the time how God was using it to be the “perfect” colors and look that would be fitting for me. God can even use a rock to show His sovereignty reigns as His perfect orchestrations light our path if we continue to love and serve Him.

 

Seeing the before and after pictures of this masterpiece also made me reflect on the parallel with God and our lives. We become beautiful masterpieces when we allow God to control the paintbrush in our lives. God produces the sparkle, the shine that makes us radiant with His presence and joy~

 

This week, may you be reminded of…

…God’s sovereignty in your life.

…the importance of loving God with all your heart.

…how God works out all the circumstances of your life for your good.

…letting God control the paintbrush in your life.

…shining the radiance of God’s presence and joy.

 

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  –Ephesians 2:10  (NLT)