Painting

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” Revelation 21:5

I love to paint! One day recently while repainting the doors in my house, I realized I have painted and repainted almost every surface in my entire home. We always had brand new homes throughout our marriage so when we moved to Redding it was a huge challenge for me transitioning into a 1970’s “fixer upper.” We never had a huge budget for renovating our home so I learned to be creative in new ways.

Over the past several years, I have painted and sometimes repainted every wall, ceiling, baseboard, trim, louvered closet doors, ceiling beam, interior and exterior door, bathroom and kitchen cabinet (three coats of paint!), exterior siding and trim of the entire outside of the house, furniture pieces and even the grout lines in my tile floors (yes there is even paint for that too!) I even had to repaint my master bathroom three times before I found the perfect shade of sea green that worked with the natural light coming through the window.

You may think I sound obsessed with paint but it is not true. What I love about painting is the gratification of seeing new color and beauty instantly! New life and freshness can be seen the very moment the paint hits the surface. Changing the color of a room can do wonders to brighten a room, your own spirit and the feeling of your entire home. Although I admit I really dislike the prep work of cleaning, sanding, taping off areas you don’t want painted and priming the surface, the results are well worth the effort. New paint is fresh and renewing, and it brings new life and beauty to everything.

For me, painting is also very relaxing. As I am brushing on each stroke of color with my favorite brush, I get lost in the process, my mind stops thinking of every random thought, and often the Lord will speak into my heart His beauty and love and inspiration.

This is a picture of our lives. Sometimes God needs to clean us up and sand those rough areas in us and prime us for things to come. Just like new paint, Christ’s gift of salvation and grace brings us new life. Instantly when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are reborn a new creation, primed and ready to magnify the beauty of the Lord in us as His precious daughters.

Thank You, Lord, that You make all things bright and new in You. Help us all to reflect Your beauty in us each and every day. Amen!