Thursday, September 13, 2018

Paintbrushes

God is painting his grace on the canvas of human souls.  One day we will stand with him in Glory and see that canvas completed, and we won't be able to do anything but worship.  What is our part in all of this?  We are God's brushes.  He wants to soak us on the palette of his grace and paint more of his goodness on yet another soul.  The question is, "Are we soft brushes in his hands?  A hard, dried-out brush doesn't pick up the paint well and mars the surface it was meant to beautify.  
~Paul David Tripp, "Instruments in the Redeemers Hands"


I'm back in the orchestra room this week, joyfully substitute teaching, and feeling the tendency to be a "hard, dried-out brush" instead of soaking in the palette of God's grace and looking for ways to paint more of His goodness on those around me.  I find my heart stays softer when I make space for beauty and order around me, so as silly as this may sound, the girls and I cleaned out the refrigerator this afternoon.  After a failed attempt to talk to Aaron in the Solomon Islands, I snuck out to the back patio with a third cup of coffee while the girls began school.  I want to be so sensitive to those crusty edges on my "brush", because it's so easy to let the gunk accumulate.  Lord, help me keep a soft brush.

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