Who's Painting Your Canvas? Part III

To complete this mini-bloggy-series, I ask you to read the following scriptures, recognizing that this is truth for YOU. Many times we read and believe for our children, forgetting the application is for us too.

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb. I will confess and praise you for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being formed in secret and intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery). Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days (of my life) were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. ~Psalm 139:13-16 (Amplified, emphasis mine)

I love the connection between this verse and the picture of the canvas that God gave to me!!! Here are my challenges to you (and me too):

Dare to live in the freedom of Christ's judgement.

Dare to fulfill what He wrote/painted for your life.

Today, allow the shackles and chains to be broken off and the beauty of your true identity to be revealed by embracing the canvas He painted just for you!

Who's Painting Your Canvas? Part II

**If you are interested in reading Part I, click here**

As a young girl I was very aware of the fact that I didn't have the designer jeans or the right shoes / sneakers. My hair was always styled but wasn't necessarily the latest and greatest cut. Some people were quite successful at pulling off the Farrah Fawcett look...others not so much. Circumstances caused me to withdraw in sixth grade and I was labeled as shy, a wallflower, even unpopular.

Ninth grade came and I was so happy to go to a new school! New friends. New teachers. New experiences. A fresh clean slate...or canvas. An opportunity to start over.

It was wonderful! I met four girls that I connected with and had a great year. I loved the color they added to my life like paint being added to a canvas! My canvas was so beautiful with glorious shades and patterns. I liked who I was and it felt good.

Sophomore year arrived and with it came a new girl to our class. I befriended her and enjoyed getting to know her. She too added some wonderful color to my canvas. Life was grand.

Then it happened. My four wonderful friends decided that they didn't like the color that the fifth girl was adding to my life / my canvas. The day finally came when they delivered an ultimatum to me. I was ordered to end my friendship with this girl or they would end their friendship with me. I chose to not stop the friendship. They followed through on their threat and I quickly saw my canvas turn bleak. Greys were smeared over the color and black splotches were spattered. It was ugly and painful.

I know now my mom was storming heaven's gates on my behalf. How else could I not slip into depression? Over Christmas break, I told my mom that I was going to fast and pray for three days. I am still amazed that she didn't pester me with questions throughout those three days - wondering if this was merely a cover for the start of an eating disorder??? But she didn't. And I was really praying...I was desperate for peace.

Anyway, at the end of the three days I shared with my mom the truth that God had deposited into my soul:

It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of me. The only thing that matters is what HE thinks of me.

I had no idea the priceless treasure I had received at the young age of 15.

I realized that all these years, I was basing my value / my identity on a counterfeit. The canvas I looked at that varied from beautiful to bleak was not a true representation of me. My Creator opened my eyes to the most beautiful canvas - the one that He had painted for me!

Tune in tomorrow for Part III.

Who's Painting Your Canvas?

Last week was the kick-off to the 2007-2008 season of MIA. Our theme for this year is Gaining God's Perspective. To introduce the theme, we began with a short video that you can check out here if you are interested. Then I shared a testimony of sorts.

The world's judgement of me is according to my accomplishments on Earth. Jesus' judgement is in a different light.

~John Bevere, Driven by Eternity (p. 152)

So...whose judgement are you living under? Past judgements that people may have innocently or not-so-innocently spoken over you - saying you are shy or boisterous, timid or out of control, unorganized or a neat freak, etc.? Present judgments - comparing yourself to other women or moms you know or worse yet, images of what you think you are supposed to be like? Future judgments - meaning the goals that are set for you...what are they based on? Success? Money? Material things?

Based on the answers to these questions, let me ask one more. How free are you to be YOU? Do you even know who you are? Okay, that is two questions...

So, what is the price of this freedom I speak of?

This is the point where I shared my testimony at the meeting. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post...