Brushstrokes

As I was painting a mural I'm working on today I was reflecting on an artist's brushstrokes. I've often heard that brushstrokes are like finger prints. They are unique and reveal something about the one that left them behind. There is always something of the process left in the creation, adding to its beauty and novelty. What a shame it would be if paintings left no trace of the artist that created them. Consider the difference between a painting by Cezanne and Velazquez or Van Gogh and Delacroix. The brush strokes of a Van Gogh painting are often the first thing one notices. They are obvious and bold, however looking for the strokes in other paintings takes more time and a skilled eye. They are always present though, even in a Pollock; the way his hand flung paint at the canvas communicates something of him. The process of creating art is as important as the finished product.

How this reminds me of the art of our Lord! What are the brushstrokes in your life? In what manner has he painted you who you are? Christ learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8) I know I would not be who I am today without the scars from my past. But they are brush strokes, not blemishes. I would not know the redemption I now know without being as broken as I was. They are not something to hide, to be ashamed of. I've worried so long of how people will view me after they've heard my story. I wanted them to see me as I am now and not know what I was. But how much that diminishes the artist's handiwork! I should boast of my past so all can see the beauty God created from ashes. I see myself as a piece of work from someone like Robert Rauschenberg, like one of his combines. He created art from found objects and trash. What men meant for evil, God uses for good. That's his fingerprint, his brushstroke. He creates beauty from pain, from weakness, from evil.