© Lynn Abbott
The course of creation or love does not always run smoothly. I have seen this truth play out again and again in this world.
And so, while it grieved me, a creative catastrophe last autumn didn’t surprise me.
You see, in November, I painted a small study of this lavender field, inspired by my family’s trip to Provence in late May of this year.
My husband–my biggest fan–loved the 12×12 piece.
And I was delighted.
But sorrow punctuates my otherwise happy tale…
While my husband assisted me in framing the painting, the electric drill slipped and punctured a hole in the “beloved” canvas.
Ooops.
Heartbreak ensued…
Of course, I can patch the canvas, but the small painting will never be the same. And even though a patch might disguise and cover the hole, I would nevertheless know the damage remained.
As a result, I put into motion a plan to redeem what had been lost. I even had a greater plan…
I not only would recreate the painting, but I would also bring a greater good despite the initial disappointment.
Thus, a Christmas gift/creation began to unfold–something for a space at home where my husband has wished to install a large painting.
And so I tackled my composition again; however, I chose a much larger canvas. I created an even grander piece.
You see here the result: a four foot by four foot painting that I presented to my husband on Christmas morning.
Yes, Christmas 2019 and New Year’s 2020 ushered in something big as well as new…
And when I stopped to consider it, I could see a parallel, albeit an imperfect one, to God’s Christmas and Easter story…
It’s true. Both collectively–through Adam and Eve–and individually, we missed the mark. The sinful slip in the garden and our continued failure since then has damaged our lives and our world…destroying the masterpiece that God created for great good and beauty.
Yet, here’s the amazing news. God had a plan that He immediately put in motion. In fact, a Christmas gift/creation would unfold.
He sent His son to restore what had been lost, (John 3:16). Jesus was and is the Light of the World in the midst of great darkness and despair, (John 1:9-12).
His is a supernatural and extraordinary gift that culminated in His sacrificial work on the cross and offers a great exchange… a grand masterpiece for our broken canvases. His grace replaces what had been disappointment with renewed joy.
He has brought about a new creation…in and for you and me.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, indeed!
“Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold new things have come,”
~2 Corinthians 5:17
Through Ink & Image 