I attended the funeral of a dear friend's aunt last week at St. Mary’s Church in Rockville. The sanctuary is set in the round, and the most amazing stained glass mosaic windows surround the room. The art history student in me sat there mesmerized. Each massive window depicted a story from the Bible. Each was a work of art. Painstakingly created. Each piece of the mosaic placed where it fit. Each one intentional.
If you have ever observed a mosaic before, you know that the smaller pieces of tile or glass (or whatever medium is used) fit together like puzzle pieces to create a larger picture. Each bit of glass is unique. No two are alike, and each individual piece plays a part in creating the whole…the masterpiece.
Life in Christ is like those beautiful mosaics, you know. You and I have a part to play in the grand scheme of things. In the Creator's masterpiece. Each of us is unique. We have been shaped by Jesus into the people we are today, and, Lord willing, tomorrow we'll be different. Changed. Moved. Transformed by the Master Artist's hand.
I know that some of us have seasons when we may feel spent. Used up. No longer useful. For some reason, our journey has left us feeling "less than." You may even feel damaged...that is the worst feeling in the world, isn't it? To feel like the scar that your soul bears is too deep, too great to allow you to be used by God. That kind of hurt can cause us to feel limited.
Let me encourage you to think of the beautiful art that fills the main sanctuary at St. Mary's. Each small piece of glass has imperfect edges. Each one was broken. And each little imperfect piece is used to tell God's vast story of revolution. Of revelation. Of freedom. Of victory. The small and the broken are transformed into a part of the larger story of beauty and redemption. Each unique piece is important, and the art wouldn't be the same without it.
Child of God, the next time you feel too far gone, remember the Artist's larger picture and stand tall in the knowledge that you are His masterpiece created for much more than you could ever imagine. You are treasured. And loved. And perfect in Him.
Blessings, Deni
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge,
a rock where no enemy can reach me. ~ Psalm 62:5-7
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
