IN THE BEGINNING/HUMILITY
This painting is still a mystery! After the spiritual & scriptural gymnastics of “LET THERE BE LIGHT” I was left panting & begging for more. – “What next?” I demanded! “What are WE going to do NOW!” …Time passed. Then quietly He said “BLACK.” “What, just black?” Over time the dialogue remained the same. “What, just black? But there WILL be more won’t there?” I tried getting ‘INTO HIS PRESENCE’ better. More spiritual-like, more reverently, with more singing, praising & worshipping….I poured through the scriptures looking for what He was trying to say. SILENCE! I prayed again, “What just black?” A patient voice I knew so well sighed “ISN’T IT ENOUGH FOR YOU LESLEY THAT I HAVE ASKED FOR BLACK? ISN’T IT ENOUGH THAT I HAVE ASKED?”
How PROUD. How ARROGANT. How PRESUMPTUOUS of me, to assume that the God of the universe, who had made all things, was mine to demand what I liked from Him. He was the potter & I was just a rather prideful lump of clay. In king David’s words I prayed, “I’m sorry Lord I would rather be a humble doorkeeper in your house than live in the tents of the wicked.”
I primed the board and squeezed out the black paint but the pride rose again as I swirled & flourished the paint onto the board & it pleased me to see what looked like a remote galaxy in the universe. “Ooooh I like that, in a plain sort of way!…….”JUST BLACK LESLEY.” I took a large impersonal brush & covered every inch of the board. “NOW MORE BLACK LESLEY.”
Yes Lord” I replied. “NOW FILL YOUR PALETTE WITH WATER & APPLY IT TO THE BOARD” I obeyed and surveyed the black soggy mess.
By morning the ‘black soggy mess had dried revealing little white star-like specs. WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS IT THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING? If you can see anything else then please let me know, because it’s still a mystery to me.