Sunday, December 14, 2008

Sun Baked Clay



“You’re painting again?” My husband is very tolerant of the fact that I love to paint but he still questions it. Yesterday I painted one of the walls in my living room an accent color to make it “pop” (like they say on HGTV…)

I love the outcome but I still remember what is underneath: plaster. I’m sure some of you know what a mess plaster can be! If you hammer a nail into it you may find that the plaster crumbles around the nail; also if you try and “demo” it, you may find that it crumbles easily and it is very dusty when it crumbles.

On top of the plaster is a greenish-turquoise color that was on the walls when we moved in. To make that even more appealing picture this: the man that lived in the house before we did reportedly sat in his “easy-chair” and chain-smoked; the result of that was that you could see where every picture had hung on the walls.

The first color we painted was some sort of tan, beige very neutral color; I think I did some sort of special finish on it to make it a little more appealing. Still, a little lackluster for my taste.


After some major remodeling in the house I got to paint the living room again; the color is called “Moosewood”; it’s a special paint so I used a big wall-paper brush to put it on the walls. The result was a very textured look.

I still wasn’t quite “lovin” it because it was so much “green” (or Moosewood) so yesterday I painted again; with a paint that looks like suede. The name of the color is “Sun Baked Clay.”

I was just admiring it again – I am satisfied…for a few years I suppose!

As I think the transformation of this wall from the time we moved in until now (13 plus years) not only has the color and texture changed, but the things around it have changed as well. Rooms have been remodeled, walls knocked down, steps moved, new windows, new furniture…you get the idea.

The colors have changed but the wall is still plaster.

I’m kind of like that wall. Underneath everything I am a mess and I can crumble easily.

Throughout the years I have been painted ugly colors and have had gross stains on me. I acted so selfishly and did whatever I wanted to; I was interested in only pleasing myself.

As time past, God began convicting me of the ugliness and stains that I had; so I tried to “paint’ myself in a more appealing color. It changed the outside, to some extent, but the inside was still ugly.

Then God began remodeling; a long and inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable process.

And in the new color, Sun Baked Clay, God has reminded me that I am a work in progress.

Jeremiah 18:4 says: “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

The pot…was…marred…I was marred! I love the transformation that the Potter has done with the clay-me; and I pray that this pot, no matter how uncomfortable it is, will continually be shaped to serve God’s purposes and that throughout all the re-shaping, I become more and more pleasing to God.

9 comments:

  1. A little tip I learned--if you heat the nail point with a candle or a match before you pound it into the plaster, it goes in without the crumbling effect--I have plaster walls, too (in more ways than one...)

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  2. What a cool reminder of The Potter -- every time you look at your walls! My kitchen walls are called Georgia Brick. That can remind me of what a hard-headed blockhead I am at times.

    :-)

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  3. I love the analogy, Janelle (and I love the color-it looks beautiful). It's SO easy to try to "paint" our own walls and clean ourselves up, I feel like I fall back to that time & time again!

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  4. I love Jeremiah 18 and the whole pot metaphor. I keep a cracked pot next to my bed with some flowers that are "growing" out of the top, as well as out of the cracks.

    Beautiful post, and a beautiful wall, I must say! I far prefer this analogy over the one that says it was painted to impress new Bible study peeps!

    Keep letting him mold you, sister!

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  5. Very well put indeed. Such a great reminder and thoughts to ponder for all of us! I am feeling a bit like a "cracked pot" lately and I have been praying to God for answers. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Thanks for helping to touch my heart!

    Your sister in Christ.

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  6. Hey Janelle -- This has nothing to do with the post, but I had to tell you: I LOVE that new profile pic! Is that a crown on your head?

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  7. What an amazing analogy! I can so relate and am so grateful that our Daddy sees us through that delicate blood and chooses us, pursues us and sings over us!
    Have a great holiday...found you on L.L. Barkat's site and am glad I did!

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  8. Amen, girlfriend!

    Love the color...

    Merry Christmas and KEEP WARM!

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  9. Great comparison, Janelle. We can paint, but it is so much better when the Lord remodels us from the inside-out!

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