My Header Story

My header is a photo of a piece of art that I value more than any other I have in my home.

Several years ago, somewhere in the early nineties, Vic and I were strolling along the shore of Harrison Lake admiring the wares of the vendors who had set up temporary shop on the sand.
One artist and his work caught my attention and I stopped .

I learned the French artist had been fascinated one day by slabs of slate stone ..

the jagged edges begging him to paint them into mountain scenes.

He had numerous resulting pieces on display

but my eye immediately rested on one in particular.

It was as if he had sat in my family room and painted using the colours around him.

I LOVED it … I went closer and instinctively reached out to touch it .
The artist had been watching me, and as I reached out, he cried

“Don’t touch it !!.... then too late , he added ..”its still wet!”
But to my dismay, I had already left my thumb smudge in the wet paint and the picture perfection was ruined.

His face severe, the artist handed me a scalpel “Now you have to fix it , “ he said.
I took the scalpel my hand and looked at the painting.

I knew I could not repair the damage I had done.
Then the artist’s face broke out in a smile, his eyes twinkled and he said, “I’ll fix it !”
With a few deft strokes of the artist’s hand the painting was a good as new!
He joked, “100 years from now when they scrape back the paint

they will find your fingerprint and accredit you as the artist !”
Of course I bought the beautiful slab of slate.

How like the artist is God and how quick we are to mess up what He has done.
God said, “Don’t touch!” in the garden of Eden but Adam and Eve touched and ruined perfection with their sin.
God gave them the Old Covenant and said “Fix it !” but of course man in his own strength could not do it !
Then God smiled and took the Old Covenant, perfected it through Jesus and gave us the New Covenant – perfect!

Our personal imprint of sin has been covered over ,

eternity is ours at a price we can afford ---

Our faith in the Artist’s work.

But God continues to cover our ‘imprints’ does He not?
Bad things happen and He promises ,

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28)

We fail, we stumble, we touch , and He is ready, scalpel in hand, to make it right again. “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!” (I John 1:9)

One day when we are standing at heaven’s door and are asked why we should be allowed in… we will be able to say .. “because my imprint of sin is covered by the redemptive work of the great Artist!”

Rom 4:7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED;
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