Painting with a blessing

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Original publication date: Friday, October 16, 2015
Random Writer
Painting with a blessing 

Very rarely do I like to try new things. I’ve said it before--I don’t like change. I also don’t like doing something when I know I’m going to be bad at it (here’s looking at you, sports).

But when one of the ladies from our fellowship group at church came up with the idea of our own version of “Painting with a Twist” that was eventually named “Painting with a Blessing”, I wanted in. I’d always seen the commercials showing where you can begin with a blank canvas and end with a glorious picture that looks like it came from an art gallery. Part of me wanted to see if I could have the same happy ending like the people on the commercial, while the other part of me wanted to prove that there was no way possible for an un-artistic person like me to produce a quality piece of art.

Drawing and painting and such was one of the first things I came to realize I was bad at in life. I was in elementary school and we had to draw a picture from that story about the mouse and the lion, and my picture was pitiful. It wasn’t the best in the class--something I had always done until that point in second grade. And in typical Belinda fashion (at that time), I cried.

Twenty years later, I knew I wouldn’t cry over being the worse, but as soon as our class began on Monday night, I joked with my mom and sister, “This is the mouse and the lion all over again!” I was--in the typical yet modern Belinda fashion--extremely nervous, especially when our teacher began the class. Seriously, I tip my imaginary hat to our teacher. Not only was she a great teacher, but she had such patience with all of us in the class that nearly numbered 20 ladies. She was so affirming, especially when I proclaimed that I’d ruined my canvas after the first step and she came in and fixed it.

We would be painting a cross, and even with that our teacher helped draw mine on the canvas. Was I stressed during most of the class? Most definitely. It would be out of my character if I wasn’t (which is a bad thing, I know). But I had fun even in my anxious state as I enjoyed sweet fellowship with the ladies in our group and even when I finally realized that my little painting was, in my opinion, “meh”. And thankfully, I didn’t cry when I finally made the decision to look at my sister’s artwork (because she’s amazingly talented). I was in complete awe at how great it looked, even though I shouldn’t have been because she always produces great-looking work.

As I sit here to try and come up with some sort of spiritual application, a thing or two comes to mind. Fellowship with believers is always a blessing, whether it’s over dinner or a painting project. I can’t think of a scriptural reference, but don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know what you might be missing out on if you don’t try it out.

After painting our crosses, we decided that our next class will have us painting a pumpkin and maybe a sunflower. Will I make it to that class?

I’m not gonna lie: at this point...I’m still undecided.