Saturday, July 21, 2007

It's not about the shape, it's about the values

Last night we had some friends over for dinner, including their teenage son, who had just got back from art school in another state. He said he had an epiphany during his figure-drawing lessons: "It's not about the shape, it's about the values!" In other words, it's not the lines you use to draw something, it's about the shadings, the treatment of light and dark areas, the shadows and highlights, that give the shape its three dimensions--and its beauty.

Now, I know zilch about art, but even I can understand this. Since last night, I've been thinking about it some more. What does our loving Father see when he looks at the shape of our lives? Does He tilt His head and go, "Hmm, we could use a little depth here," and then send us an experience that might be dark or smudgy, but that gives us some? Or does He say, "I need this part to really pop," and voila, there we are on a mountaintop experience that changes our lives--the kind where we look back and go, wow, it was all different after that day.

Has God been giving you some values--some shadings of light and dark? And don't they make the picture beautiful?

Shelley A.
http://www.shelleyadina.com

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