Sara and David-#PermanentlyPaulk-“God has made everything beautiful for its own time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

#JonesingForHodges Dancing in the rain! ” This is Living” by Hillsong-“Black and White turns to color all around. All is new, in the Savior I am found”

Marriage 101: A Masterpiece Metaphor

**I will be using painting terminology to leave behind brushstrokes as beauty marks; so, get your smock on and prepare to paint!

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Ground – the surface you are painting onto

What are we painting our masterpiece (marriage) on?

Sandcastles wash away, a house of cards will come crashing down, wood shacks will eventually rot but a mansion made on solid Rock will stand firm, because it is well built!

When I got married over 2 decades ago, a new creation was birthed.  The success of that new life, this beautiful masterpiece called marriage, is dependent on each of us individually digging deep with the Lord and letting HIM transform us daily into HIS image.

As we are individually grounded on the Rock, we get to co-labor with Christ as HE builds our marriage masterpiece from the ground up.

Building on a Solid Foundation: Luke 6:46-49 NLT

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?  I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Binder – this is the substance that ‘binds’ a dry pigment together.

Christ is the BINDER in marriage.  HE is the scarlet thread that ‘binds’ a man and a woman together.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

“…and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Mark 10:8-9

Bound by and grounded on Christ, a marriage will begin ROCK solid but marriage is also a painting that is under construction until God takes someone home.  Every kind word and selfless act will add brushstrokes of beauty, richness of texture and softness of tone to the masterpiece of marriage.

Blending – this describes a gradual transition between two colors

On the color wheel, you notice that one color gradually blends into the next.  Individual colors keep their place but new ones are created along the way.

Over the past twenty something years, I have seen the most beautiful “gradual transition between two colors.”  Jay and I are polar opposites in many ways but the blending of those colors has made many new colors along the way.  We have kept our uniqueness, while being completely united.  We are different, yet not divided.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world (in eachother-my addition:)  Matthew 5:14 MSG

Big look – observing the subject or painting as a whole. This allows you to view the relationship of the whole image working together and is often achieved by stepping back from the piece to get an overview

Newly married, I remember looking at the closet in our one bed room apartment.  My eyes welled up with tears and I said, “There is not room for me in your life.” Drama, drama, drama!

A similar scenario took place our first married Christmas.  Upon Jay’s arrival home from a business trip, I got my decorating game on. I lit up the tiny balcony of our one bedroom apartment with a colorful light show.  Little did I know, he was a “white light” man.  The less than ecstatic look on his face, led to another watery display, as I said,”I must not even know you. I can’t even make you happy.”  Drama, drama, drama!

I can look back and laugh now.  Those isolated incidences have been painted over.  Small or big closet, there was more than enough room for me in his life.  We have been and continue to build a life together.  Our eyes have been adjusting to the scene for quite sometime now and I know Jay and continue to unwrap the treasure that he is daily.

Perspective changes everything.  In 23 years of marriage, Jay and I have had disagreements and differences of opinions.  We will have more, no doubt.  But, when we step back and choose the BIG LOOK, we see those small cracks as places where the light of Christ shines through. God gets the glory and HE continues to write our LOVE STORY.

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 The Message 

Recently, I have painted gifts for couples at my church, who are getting married this summer.  It has been a tremendous blessing to pray for them as I paint them.

#PermanentlyPaulk is the lovely couple on the left.  Sara was one of the leaders in my Freedom group this past fall.   I was honored to witness windows of beauty in the love story God was and is writing for her and David.

Sara and David-#PermanentlyPaulk-“God has made everything beautiful for its own time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

#JonesingForHodges is the dancing duet on the right.  Although I do not know Katie and Michael personally, I had the privilege of being in that Freedom group alongside Katie’s mama, Terri.

Katie and Michael-#JonesingForHodges -Dancing in the rain!

How do we bless those who have been such a blessing to us?

How has God uniquely crafted us, in order to make a love offering in our spheres of influence?

Please give these questions some serious consideration.  We are ALL called to bless others in HIS Name and we all have gifts.  No one is exempt! The beauty marks we leave in our wake are all different, but they are beauty marks nonetheless, beauty marks that point to Christ!

In my case, I chose to paint and pray.  I chose here, in a blog post, to add an extra measure of love and grace in words.  By sharing some of the gold I have gleaned along the way in the painting of this MASTERPIECE called Marriage, I pray I have left a Jesus beauty mark on your canvas.

I am continuing to pray for Sara and David (#PermanentlyPaulk) and Katie and Michael (#JonesingForHodges).

May the rest days of your life, be the best days of your life! #bettertogether

GoGod