Don't hold back generosity, love, gifts, time, or effort out of fear of wasting something
This article is brought to you by the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market. We’re just a day away from Market Day! What are you shopping for this weekend?
Head downtown to the intersection of Washington and Mulberry streets from 9 a.m. until noon on Sat., July 11, to take advantage of a huge selection of handmade gifts, fresh produce, meats, and baked goods! Shopping at the Market is affordable, fun, and supports your community.
It’s going to be a great day, so we’ll see you at the Market!
You know, in all the days that I’ve been painting, I’ve learned some pretty profound things. Most of those lessons didn’t come from another artist. They came while I was standing in front of a canvas.
Recently, as I was painting, a thought came to my mind that I truly believe came from the Lord. It simply said, “You have to waste a little paint to make the magic.”
Now, I’m not big on the word magic, but those were the words that came to me, and I knew exactly what they meant. There was a time when I hated wasting paint. I’d squeeze out the smallest amount possible, dilute it, stretch it, and make every drop go as far as I could. I thought I was being responsible. In reality, I was limiting what the painting could become.
It wasn’t until I quit worrying about preserving paint that my paintings started becoming what I had imagined. I wasn’t afraid anymore to squeeze out a little more color or load my brush a little heavier. I started applying more paint, and something changed. The contrast became deeper. The colors became richer. The image started to pop in ways I had never been able to achieve before.
Ironically, using more allowed me to create more.
Then, another lesson found me. Sometimes I’d walk away from a painting because life happens. You have responsibilities. You have people to see, places to go, and things that need your attention. By the time I’d come back, the paint on my palette had dried up.
That used to bother me. Now it doesn’t. It’s okay. I’ll just squeeze out a little more paint and keep going.
Timing is everything. Seasons mean a lot. I’m never going to sit down and finish a large painting in one sitting. That’s just not how life works. Sometimes you have to walk away for a while. And when it’s time to come back, don’t spend your energy mourning the paint that dried on yesterday’s palette. Put some fresh paint on the palette and continue the process the way it was meant to be.
I think life works the same way.
We often hold back our generosity, our love, our gifts, our time, and even our effort because we’re afraid of wasting something. We try so hard to preserve what we have that we never fully pour ourselves into what God has called us to do. But I’ve learned that God isn’t asking me to preserve the paint. He’s asking me to paint.
Not every season is meant to be preserved. Some moments are meant to be poured out. Some resources are meant to be used. Some opportunities require us to stop counting the cost and trust that God will provide enough for what He’s called us to do.
So, if you have to waste a little paint, waste a little paint. The masterpiece is worth it.