Did you eat Paint Chips as a Child? I wasn’t aware I enjoyed painting…it’s definitely not something I’ve ever felt good at or skilled at….but I found myself painting A LOT this month…and actually can say I really truly enjoyed it.
There’s a verse in the bible that talks about if the people are silent the rocks will talk (proclaim Jesus name)…and if the rocks could talk from these past two weeks I think they’d have a lot to say. After we’ve collected and relocated thousands of rocks some of us have had the opportunity to paint the rock walls in our free time. This may not sound like a thrilling experience but it actually has been.
We have one section of the wall painted in rainbow colors and white that we affectionately call The Gospel Wall. One of the goals of Zion’s Gate is to make an inviting place for locals who stop by. Sometimes on the race it’s the little things that count. For someone who’s lived on her own for awhile having “alone” time is essential for sanity and having this time slopping paint on a wall was incredibly relaxing and healing. I couldn’t say for sure what God and I discussed…sometimes we just had “shoulder time” where we didn’t need to say anything at all…but it was glorious to have that time together sprucing up the rocks that would see thousands upon thousands of people and street children walk past that needed a bit of encouragement.
I mentioned slopping on paint…that would be a gross understatement. Colors collided all over the wall, my clothes, my hands, etc. Quite the mess…but I don’t think God could have been more pleased…He wants the lives of believers to spill out onto other people and its going to be messy…we’re not going to color between the lines…and we’re going to step in thorn bushes and weeds and hurt…but God desires it…because that means we need Him, His guidance, and wisdom in where to slop our paint.
My paint brush deserves an apology…I absolutely thrashed it. We were short on paint thinner and so it just layered up with the different colors on the “wave” wall…I’m that paint brush. I have/had some layers that need to be peeled back and I don’t think God’s going to do this the same old way. Water won’t work, and if the thinner is gone I know He’s going to use some crazy way of working out the gunk in me. A lot of layers came off this month…but it’s like our rock hunting…the more rocks we collected the more rocks were uncovered and revealed.
