No problem. “I’ll be back shortly,” I call to my family. “Half-hour tops.” I should have suspected my drawing, I mean tracing, wasn’t going to be sufficient. My dad is somewhat of a perfectionist.  

First, he gets out His square. I mean really dad, it’s art. It’s supposed to look misshapen and out-of-proportion.  Then, I knew we were in for it when the rulers and multiple tools were being drug out. 

As my concern for my dad’s perfection is beginning to trouble me, I nearly found myself in tears. He was so much like my Heavenly Father in that moment, I was beyond myself.

Read last year’s Father’s Day Post, The Carpenter’s Daughter. You can get a taste for the kind of man my dad is. He is the hardest working; most loyal father a girl could ask for.

As my dad straightened the anchor with one mark, drew a curve with a smooth sail of his hand across the board, and worked his way around something I threw together, my art suddenly began to look more pleasant. I was realizing how often I bring that sort of mess to my Heavenly Father.

As I watched my dad work, I was so grateful for the details he was sketching out for me and erasing the mistakes I had previously carved. His hands slowly and meticulously moved over the wood as he held it in place and poured over the details. Then he held the wood against the saw and slowly carved out every detail and it was beginning to take shape. 

I began to see the similarities in what our Heavenly Father has to do in us. We come to Him with our sinful, broken, misshapen hearts. We have done a complete number on them and we want to bring them in for the quick, painless fix.

We refuse, like I was, to work in his time and wait for Him to create a more perfected picture of who He wants us to be.

When he starts to get the ruler out to straighten our messes, we put up our guards. When the square comes out to make sure the line is in proper placement, we begin tapping our watches. We stand with our hands on our hips as he sketches out a new plan in a perfected working order. We try to stand firm in our ways as He gently erases the lines we have so deeply etched on our hearts. And we balk at the idea of the chisels coming out to shape us to be more like him.

As my dad worked on my “art” for over two hours, I began to appreciate the time and lesson my fathers were teaching me.

Our God wants to create a more beautiful picture of who He is in us. But it takes work, time, and some painful carving along the way. The results, however, are far beyond what we could have asked for or imagined.

My wooden anchor turned out way better than what I could have done and better than I initially brought to the table. My dad didn’t question the job he had to do to fix my mess. He humbly smiled and sent me on my way.

I now have a reminder of the anchor for my heart that leads me back to my dad who has always loved me unconditionally. Through his life, he has helped me form a deeper love and understanding for my Heavenly Father.

Ephesians 2:10 says: For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

I love this verse right from the beginning.

When I was in college, I began to love Claude Monet paintings. I had them on my walls and would frame things that he had painted. I even had a pop-up book with his gardens and paintings in them because I love the beauty of them.

I loved the serenity and relaxing themes he painted. The colors he used in the paintings gave me a sense of calmness when I looked at them. The pictures drew me in to the scene and I wanted to be in that spot.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s masterpiece. When I think of those breathtaking paintings, it helps me appreciate all that God put into our creation.

Genesis 2:7 tells us the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground. He didn’t just speak us into existence. He took up the dirt of the ground and carefully and lovingly formed us. He cared about his creation so much that He made us His masterpiece.

Psalm 139:13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

When I was pregnant with our first child this verse became very real to me. The imagery of our Heavenly Father taking the time to intricately create us, to knit all our delicate parts. And with every brushstroke finally arrive at a masterpiece of His glorious work.

What an Awesome God!  

In Christ, he has created us anew and not only for the sake of becoming a new creation but so we could do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Although I do not know how much time I have on this Earth, I can be sure of several things. God has my life planned for me.

Verse 10 says He planned it long ago. Long before I became a thought. Long before my grandparents became a thought, he knew the plans that He had for me.

Anyone ever unsettled about the things they cannot see? About the future they cannot foresee?

We were made anew in Christ so we could do the good things he saw for us long ago. Even though we cannot see the plans the Lord has for us, we can rest assure that He knows.

We can rest assure that He has planned good things for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.

Many people know and love this verse. It gives them hope in a life that can sometimes seem as if it were filled with despair.

But listen carefully to the middle of this verse my friends, it says “declares the Lord.” This was not just said by anyone. This was not just in passing. This was declared by the Lord. I don’t know about you but I find it so comforting to know the Lord declared “I know your future and it is for your good.” It is for His good. 

I often times have the children I am teaching say back to me, “And if God said, I believe it.”

Do you believe it for yourself? Do you believe you are a masterpiece of an Awesome Creator? In Christ, He has made you anew and has good plans for you.

So don’t wait another moment, Go and do the good work that He has created you to do.

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To read recent posts click on these links: Who Is Jesus?, Are you Willing to Forgive?,

Heart For Worship and  My Hope In Him