A couple years ago I finally put my drill to use and made a beautiful jewelry holder. At the time we were renting and didn’t want to paint, so I accessorized our white walls with as much color as possible. For the jewelry holder, I chose a clover green – my favorite color. I was particularly proud of this project. Reveling in the beauty I created, I loved catching glimpses of it as I entered and exited our room.
Last March my husband and I bought a house. We spent months preparing the space, which included painting our bedroom walls a beautiful green.
It wasn’t long after we moved in that I realized the green I loved on the jewelry holder clashed with the green I loved on the bedroom walls.
Nothing was wrong with the green on the jewelry holder – it was beautiful, but it didn’t fit the new space I intended for it. So, I repainted. Several coats and a bit of distressing later, it was ready for its new space. I love colors. I never imagined painting the jewelry holder white, yet I love it anew. It fits perfectly against its green background.
It still fulfills its original, intended purpose: to look beautiful while holding my necklaces and keeping my dresser top from utter chaos.
Often, just like my jewelry holder, we find that we don’t fit into our spaces anymore. Be it a job, a ministry, a friendship, or a season of life, things change and God places us in new spaces. Sometimes our color clashes with the color of the new space. Change of space doesn’t mean God’s designed purpose for us changes. Sometimes we simply need a “repainting.” Our purpose remains the same, but how we accomplish that purpose changes.
A refurbishing of our purpose is scary. We become accustomed to our spaces and attached to our colors. When it’s time to move to a new space, we want to at least hold onto our old colors.
God has a plan to repaint us – a plan to fit us into the new space He has for this season. Both the old and the new colors are beautiful. They are simply different, and that is okay.
Sometimes it’s just time for a change. There doesn’t have to be a big fanfare or to-do. There doesn’t have to be an immense change of calling, but a still quiet voice saying, “Honey, it’s time for something else.” Then God repaints us.
It’s okay to be scared about the change of space. We have a good Artist Father who cares for the minute details of our lives, who holds our hands through the fear. The repainting can comfort us too. We won’t be stuck forever in a space where our colors don’t fit and have become faded. The artist will repaint us. We don’t have to stay green forever.
In my short 36 years, God has repainted me many times. From the effervescent colors of childhood to the colorful flurry of adulthood; from the vibrant colors of singleness to the kaleidoscope colors of marriage; from the flashy colors of full-time ministry to the quiet, warm colors of motherhood. Now I find myself again in a new space. I know God is repainting me, though I can’t yet see the color it will turn out to be. I am learning that I can trust the Artist even when the art doesn’t make sense.
Change is always happening. In this life, it is inevitable. Though our spaces and colors change, our purpose always remains the same – to glorify the Artist and enjoy Him forever.
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Thank you, April, for words that lead me toward a joyful acceptance of the season and the color of the moment, and anticipation of many future paint jobs — all necessary, and all beautiful in their own way.
Blessings to you!
I am so glad you found it encouraging!
Oh my goodness, April. I love this post. I’ve been going through a season of intense changes: changing churches, relationship shifts, a new school for our daughter, and possibly a new calling on the horizon that I’ve been watching God slowly outline with His brush. I’ve been waiting as He’s used a heavy-duty primer to cover all the areas He’s changing, and I’ve been excited to see what “new” He will be painting next. But your post helped me to realize, “Both the old and the new colors are beautiful. They are simply different, and that is okay.” What a relief this brings me! That may sound silly but I’ve struggled with guilt of letting others down but pushed forward because of God’s leading, allowing Him to make these changes. I learned I’d rather disappoint them than disobey God. And as you beautifully wrote, “I am learning that I can trust the Artist even when the art doesn’t make sense.” So I’ll continue to wait and watch the colors of my life unfold. Thanks again and God bless!
That does not sound silly at all! I struggle with the same thing. What’s important is that we learn as we struggle-God is so gracious to do that. Thanks for commenting and I’m glad this blessed you.
I love a great analogy so to speak. The comparison to art and color makes change seem doable or even enjoyable. I love change but it can be trying at times
This season of life is extremely challenging. I’m not seeming to fit in anywhere. New ministry, onslaughts from the enemy of our souls and personal loss. Your words are timely, and greatly appreciated. Thank you for allowing God to use you!
Yes, I have been there. I needed to write this for as much as share it-thank you!
Thank you for beautifully affirming the difficult and good aspects of change.
How appropriate this is for me today! I have so many colors changing in my life right now I feel like I’m in the center of a kaleidoscope.
A move out of a house that I love, a new job, a new relational situation. I was feeling very overwhelmed.
The uncertainty of it all makes us as humans a little anxious.
But He’s just making us new day by day!
I love the changing of our colors analogy.
Thanks for your words of encouragement!
I love your statement that “God repaints us”. I felt much like that when it was time to retire from teaching. It was a new time to leave behind the old and enter the new. How wonderful to think of it as “God repainting me”. Now every time I find myself in a new place in my life, I shall thank God for repainting me.
Thank you April for your lovely words. I too am in a time of change in terms of my work life, and am not sure what the new will look like as yet. I am trusting that God knows, and that is what is most important. I am trusting in the Artist along with you
Thank you April for this lovely article which paints a picture of how we are coloured and repainted by circumstances I guess. 15 months ago I suffered an unexpected heart attack. As far as I knew I was a healthy, active woman who took exercise, ate the correct food, had a good social life and took an very active part in my local church where I had many friends. Because of my illness I felt the Lord had decided to repaint me dark grey, I became weak, inactive and doubting. For reasons I will not mention I also felt the church had left me, I certainly needed it but it wasn’t there for me any more. I feel I was ‘saved’ by a wonderful woman; a busy person with two children and a husband. She also cares for an invalid mother and she has repainted me a beautiful golden orange. There is light once more in my life, I feel loved and can, once more, give my love to my husband and others. God gives us hope through people doesn’t He? There is always a rainbow to be seen if you look for it and He has put it there for us all to see.
Thank you April for this artistic sharing – I love your analogy – I am in a season of great change and feel blessed with the gift of yet another blank canvas – a new beginning – from our Heavenly Father – Artist Extraordinaire – As I stand at the wooden easel with brush in hand – I am secure in the knowledge that it is He who is with me sliding the paint-laden brush with that first splash of color across the taut gessoed canvas – and, with each subsequent stroke of His brush, each new layer of color and texture, He is creating an expression, a reflection, so to speak, of His love, His imagination, His vision of/for me – in essence, He is uncovering his plan of my future – I will always trust the Ultimate Artist even if His art does not make sense – for it is with His blessing of courage that I can break away from the past and begin a future anew – a future that He paints upon the taut gessoed blank canvas – blessings to all xo
Oh April, what wisdom. It’s so reassuring to know there are seasons in life where some ministries end but God takes us on to new ones and at times our relationships with others change too.
This helps me see that I’m not a failure when that happens. It’s sll in Gods timing. Wow. Thanks April. It really helps
This was such a beautiful illustration, April! It was a blessing to read. You added both perspective and comfort to those seasons of change that often leave us feeling panicked and lost. Thank you for sharing this.
Change is scary, but I have found that we can be “scared” and still walk forward into the “sacred”, knowing that God sees the big picture. In fact, as God is the artist, each of us is a masterpiece! Thank you Father!
And thank you, April, for today’s food for thought. You made me think!
Thank you for this lovely way of seeing change. I’m being repainted and the “not knowing” my new color is difficult but also exciting at the same time. Thanks for reminding me that God knows exactly what my new perfect color will be since He is the artist that’ll be painting me
April,
I have been struggling and haven’t been able to make sense of it or how to put it in words…you have done it for me! I feel trapped though and don’t know how to repaint my life. However, your words have opened a door for me to explore! Thank you!!
April, this is beautiful! “Our purpose remains the same, but how we accomplish that purpose changes.” I’ve appreciated this very thing about a ministry I help with. There’s just something really refreshing about not being afraid to try something new for (and with) God.
I love love love the statement “I can trust the Artist even when the art doesn’t make sense.” !!! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with all of us. Such a blessing!!! You have no idea how much it means to many people. Like me. Please keep it up!!
Thank you for this blog entry! I felt like it was written specifically for me. God truly does work in mysterious ways and His plans are perfect. It’s exactly the message that the Holy Spirit has been continually whispering with that “still small voice” to my heart. Although “new colors” are a little scary to me, I know as an artist myself, they can also be refreshing and exciting. This verse also came to my mind while reading your blog:
“For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. NIV
Thanks again!
Elana
Beautifully written groom a beautiful heart!
I love the imagery. We are on the way to coming masterpieces.
Wow, this is awesome, April! You use words so beautifully! Thanks for this word picture
April,
Life is full of changes. From childhood, adulthood, marriage, children, aging parents etc. These past 5 years have been full of changes. My dad moved into an assisted living. Next came h. is numerous health issues & me quitting my job. Dad going on hospice-then getting better for a while-then worse. Finally memory care-hospitalized. New assisted living & dad much better. I got a new part-time job & a few months later dad passed on. The colors changed my “duties” changed but I tried to glorify God in it all. I felt a tug on my heart & got more involved in various ministry projects. Life was going good & I liked the color. Ah, but change is inevitable. Now my in-laws are sick & needing help. I do what I can for them. Today I took them some food so they didn’t have to cook. Some of those trials were scary & rough, but God saw me through them. He will be with me in the next phase of life-whatever color He chooses I’m all in!
Blessings 🙂
” I can trust the Artist even when the art doesn’t make sense.” Yes! So beautifully said, April. I, too, am in a season of change and learning to lean in, not knowing what the end result will look like, but trusting the Master Artist in the process. Thanks for sharing your story on (in)courage.
This devotional is perfect timing! As a creative (and someone who has painted many a wall in my life) this analogy was perfect for me for exactly where I am today. Thank you for the encouraging words of hope and comfort reminding me to wait on God and take comfort in his sovereignty.
This is beautiful and reminded me of a vision I had a few weeks back – I saw a blank canvas and all these beautiful vibrant colours of paint alongside the canvas. God takes the mess of our lives, turns it into these beautiful vibrant colours and creates a masterpiece. Often at times we can’t fathom how using all these different colours could work together, but they do in God’s Hands. There will be times when people come into the ‘art gallery’ of our lives and some just won’t appreciate the message that the Artist is portraying through the ‘painting’ or they just don’t like what they see and walk away. But none of that changes the Artists view of us, His ‘paintings’, because in His eyes; we remain His masterpiece. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and our future remains in His Hands.
This spoke volumes to my heart today. Thank you!
This is beautiful! As many have said, such a well-timed reminder for me. And such a wonderful connection to make – between the artwork of our lives and the new work that our Creator is always doing in us. At he beginning of this year, God reminded me that in the beginning He CREATED and that has been a lovely encouragement to me to create more and tap into that reflection of His glory that He’s placed inside of me. This post encouraged me even more in that – thank you!
@April knapp- would you know an Indian marriage counsellor in seattle, ? It’s an urgent request..
What a beautiful piece about the challenging subject of change. 🙂 Thanks!
I appreciate your article. It helped me come to grips with a changing friendship. It seems that after many years of being sisters in Christ, we have drifted apart because of a differing view on scripture. There are things one just cannot compromise on, and so we have found ourselves in opposite corners, so to speak. It has been sad, but necessary, and I can see how the Father has been there through it. I now feel the renewal in my spirit even in the midst of this sad change. Blessings be to the Father!
Charlene, I am so sorry about your friendship. That is really hard. I find it the most difficult when friendships like this change. I am thankful you are seeing God’s presence with you in it all.
beautiful!!! just love the art analogies and thecomforting truth too
April, thank you so much for sharing with our group this beautiful post. You are a gifted writer and your words are so inspiring !!