Islands Girl Adventures: My Masterpiece, His Masterpiece

This morning, I was reading some old journal entries, reflecting on the feelings and events that caused me to write in the first place. Some of the entries made me want to hug the lonely girl who had written her thoughts. Others made me want to curl up in a blanket and cry for that little innocent child who had to work through so much. Still other things made me giggle and even laugh out loud. However, my favorite entries were those where I reflected on what God had been teaching me.

The following entry was one that did just that. I was flying from New Zealand to Los Angeles, on my way to Wisconsin from Papua New Guinea. During those few weeks I was in Papua New Guinea, my life was turned upside down as God molded me into who He wanted me to be. It was painful and very difficult, but by going through His fire, He was refining me into an even more beautiful creation. After these many hard lessons, God blessed me with a beautiful reminder - His love.

"I went to PNG for Christmas and I was absolutely flabbergasted by the beauty that I saw. I had grown up in this gorgeousness and I had never even seen it! The view was breathtaking no matter what directions I turned. God had painted a beautiful masterpiece on the canvas of earth, but then he breathed life into it. It was absolutely incredible.

I was not excited to come to the States and see the ugliness I was so used to in North Carolina, but God surprised me. He brought out his paintbrushes again, this time, just for me! I saw rainbows, breathtaking clouds, and incredible sunsets from my plane window. When I landed in LAX I looked out my window and was awestruck by my view. Facing me were majestic and beautiful mountains, capped with God’s touch of snow. I couldn’t stop staring at his beauty! As I got on my flight to Philly, I saw mountain after mountain, declaring God’s creativity to the world. I could almost see God’s signature on the sunset. All of creation was declaring God’s beauty, and He was letting me get first looks at it!
As I studied the snow capped mountains beneath me, God used his brushes to pain yet another message. It was all over the place! In huge flowing letter strokes, stretching from the beautiful rivers to the towering snow capped mountains, to the breath taking sunset, God was outlining the words, “I love you.” He loves me! And he was showing me in a way that spoke directly to me – he was using his paints. He loves me. And he painted this canvas so he could show me that!
Furthermore, God showed me what else he did that was far more precious and breathtaking than his earth; he used his paintbrushes to create me! I can just see God smiling, 20 years ago, looking down on my mom and dad who loved each other so much. He decided to create them a masterpiece that was created in his own image that they could love and cherish. I can see him taking out his palette and brushes. Looking at the canvas he decided that he wanted a little girl. So he spattered a little pink on the board. Then smiling, he painted himself painting.

"Now she will love to do exactly what I’m doing – creating."

Then, smiling, he added a little green – Hope! “My girl will never lose hope in me,” He said proudly. Then he splashed some purples to show that this daughter came from royal blood – she was the king’s daughter, a princess.

“I love you,” still echoes in God’s masterpieces around me.

I am still amazed at the Lord's kindness in revealing His love for me in such a personal way, but isn't that what He does? My God knows me so intimately and deeply that He knows exactly how to speak into my heart in the perfect way. As I continued to process through my thoughts, the Psalmist's words entered into my mind.

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed."*

What a mighty God I serve! He loves me, He created me, and He longs for an even more intimate and personal relationship with His masterpiece. Every human being is made in His image - nothing else in the universe is made in His image. This in itself is amazing, but to add on that He created me with perfect love - it is awe striking. I am created by the Master Artist, and I am His masterpiece! It is this God that I choose to live for and to lay my life down for.