Last weekend I had the pleasure of being invited to a paint party to celebrate my friend’s birthday. It was something that always looked interesting, but I’d never been invited to one before, and never thought to actually go find a class myself. It was both fun and interesting and I’d like to share my observations from looking around.
When we walked in, prior to the class being started, we were each instructed to take a seat. Before us sat a white canvas, and paints below, waiting for us to create our masterpieces. We had someone at the head of the class giving detailed instructions on how to create each step. We were shown what the finished product would look like, and the instructor, while giving us directions, was doing it along with us.
She was very explicit when we started, and stated ‘this is your art, you can’t mess it up’. I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually did painting that didn’t have something to do with a four year old. I’m also not artistic in the least. God gave me a very practical brain that understands numbers – numbers just always seem to make sense.
As we were given each set of instructions, I did what we were told, and stopped and awaited the next set of instructions. While I looked around the class, I observed that those who were trying so hard to make it ‘perfect’ were having the hardest time. They were always trying to fix something, which sometimes helped or sometimes made it worse, until the realization dawned on them to get it to a point and then put the paint brush down.
I looked at two ladies paintings, when we were close to being done, who had both come in late. One of them was much closer to being at the point we were, and the other was about 10 steps behind. I think she had taken so much time to try to get it just perfect, that there was no way she was going to get it done before the class was over.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not telling you to not aim for perfection. But that doesn’t actually exist. My daughter, once again in her wisdom said to me ‘you don’t have to get it perfect, right mom?’ As it must have related to something else from a few days before the class. I had to laugh as she could not know that I struggle sometimes with trying to be ‘perfect’. I’ve learned that trying to be a perfect mom can only get me worn out. I can’t do everything that needs to be done as a mother, taking care of our home, and still have balance in my career and taking care of myself.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that only you are perfect, and while you have set the example for us, you know that there are times we will mess up. Thank you for still being able to give us a message out of our mess. Lord, help us to work with the canvas of our life that you have given us, to follow your instructions, so that when we are done, we can’t see the mistakes that were made, but only the beautiful end product and how it all fit together for the purpose you called us.
