Paint your Life Well
My hand was more than a little unsteady as I held the brush in my hand. It felt foreign to me after spending nearly 20 years away from a canvas and paint. My wife surprised me by planning a date that would force me to pick up a hobby that had somehow been lost to the business of life. In high school and for the first few years following graduation, I had occasionally found the time to sit down and paint a picture.
Now twenty years later, I found myself sitting amongst complete strangers, at the front of the room an instructor began to provide instruction. The date night course promised that anyone could learn to paint, but after so much time away I really began to question that.
As the class progressed I found myself becoming more comfortable, familiar with the brush and the project at hand. Large television monitors around the room, displayed the painting we would all mimic. A painting of a lone tree on a mountain hillside.
About midway through the night, a thought struck me. As I looked around the room, I realized that not a single painting looked alike. There were similar themes, but not one were identical. Every painting was as varied and unique as the individual who created it.
Earlier in the night my wife began making comments about how nervous she was. Would she be able to do it? As she sat by my side I couldn’t help but notice the others who had gathered around, commenting about her work. Just like life, there are those who seem to be naturals, gifted in all they do. There are others that struggle, that need time and development.
As I walked around the room that night, I realized one thing… this life is ours, it’s what we make it. Only we can paint our life’s picture, we are responsible for every stroke we make, good or bad. As hard as we might try to deny it, this life is our own. We can’t compare our masterpiece to that of anyone else. There will be times in our life when we doubt our abilities, and times when we draw a crowd. The secret is to step back and evaluate where our life is headed and realize our work will not be completed until we put that paint brush down.
Paint your life well!