God the Master Artist

     I recently watched a video about a woman, Marcy, who developed meningitis and went into a coma after delivering her third child. The doctors informed her husband that she would probably not make it. After a week, she woke up from the coma but could not remember the past thirteen years of her life. She believed that she was still seventeen years old and did not know that she was in fact thirty and married with three children.  However, when her children were allowed to visit her, even though she did not remember them, she instinctively knew that they were hers. In order to secure her release from the hospital, she lied about her amnesia and went home to a life she could not remember. No one was fully aware of her mental state. She continued lying to everyone about her amnesia. She tried praying asking God to help bring her memory back. When her prayers were not answered, she turned to alcohol to help her deal with her frustration. For years she struggled to keep both her amnesia and alcohol addiction a secret. 
         One night, she was with her family at home when God helped her see them from a new perspective. He revealed to her that this is why He had saved her - for the future. Just as her husband was holding their daughter in his arms, He, God, was holding her and would never let her fall but she had to trust Him. At that moment she surrendered her life to God because she realised that she wanted His plan for her life with the amnesia more than she wanted her plan for her life without it and she chose to trust Him with all of it!!!
         That revelation from Marcy got to me and tears filled my eyes. You see, recently, I faced a challenge that was way bigger than me. I suffered a mild heart attack and wished that the doctors were mistaken in their diagnosis of my condition. Through this testimony, God has reminded me that my life is in His hands and that whatever comes my way - both good and especially bad - He has me in His arms and He would never let me fall. He may not stop the challenges from coming but He would be there with me through each and every one. Psalm 23:4 says: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me…” I went through that valley and knew that I knew that God was right there with me. I never doubted it. But, I am so glad that ever so often He reminds me that He will never leave me nor forsake me, that He is always there for me and will never fail me. I chose to trust Him then and I still continue to choose to trust Him even in my recovery process. He still has a future for me!
           Marcy came clean before God and with her husband and was also delivered from her alcohol addiction. She still has not gotten back her memory but her passion for  painting was reignited. It has become a successful career and her abstract pieces are inspired by the Word of God. As Marcy puts it, it takes every layer to create the painting she wants to create and in the end every layer has done what it should to create the final piece. We are, in fact, His canvas, His masterpiece and every layer helps create who we are. And, even when there are bad layers in our life, God is still able to create something beautiful that brings honour and glory to Him. On God’s canvas, there are no accidents or mistakes, God uses everything for good!
           I don’t know what “bad layer” you may be facing but God isn’t finished with you yet. He still has a plan and a purpose for your life. I, too, felt uncertain about my life and future after experiencing that heart attack. But, God reminded me that His plans for me are still to prosper me NOT to harm me, to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). God still has a beautiful plan for your life. No mistake, no accident, no “bad layer” on your canvas could ever change God’s mind about you or change His purpose for your life. You are still God’s masterpiece, He is still working on you. It’s not over, it’s just all part of the process. The key thing however, is to trust God, trust that He knows what He is doing, He knows why He has allowed certain bad things to happen to you and that He has a good plan and purpose for all of it. 
          It’s about trust, it’s about surrender. God sees, God knows, God cares, God has a good plan. He has never created a bad picture before and He is not going to start now!!!
         If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so now. With God as the Master Artist of your life, you can rest assured that He and He alone is able to use every mistake, flaw, bad layer to create a beautiful masterpiece that ultimately brings honour and glory to Him.

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