A Second Chance for Maggie

My children and I were doing chalk art as part of our homeschool today. We follow Nana from You Are an Artist, and absolutely love her! Today, in honor of Frozen II coming out in a few weeks, she did a drawing of the characters from Frozen. A few of my children are perfectionists and get frustrated when they don’t get it perfect. I try to do these art projects with my children, so they can see that I am not perfect either. Actually, I am downright terrible at art.

Today, we were following along when suddenly my five-year-old, Maggie crumbled her paper up and threw it away. She cried in frustration because she couldn’t get her paper to look just like Nana’s. She ended up not finishing the rest of the lesson with us. My older two children and I completed our chalk drawing. While they were not by any means perfect, they were finished.

I tried to explain to Maggie lovingly that a finished project is better than none at all. Our art papers weren’t perfect. There were smudges, coloring outside the lines, and things were lopsided and not proportionate; but they were finished. We proudly showed our papers off to Matt. The kids were so proud of their papers. Teasingly, I told Matt that if writing doesn’t take off for us, it’s okay. I got us covered; I think I have a career in art. Ha! After Maggie calmed down, she asked for a second chance. Of course, I was all too happy to give her one.

The Picture of Our Lives

I think our lives are kind of like our chalk art papers from today. They’re not perfect. They’re messy. We color outside the lines and get dirty and marked with smudges. It’s messy and doesn’t look anything like we thought it would. We look at it in disgust because it’s a hot mess. Yet just as a parent looks at their child’s artwork and thinks it’s amazing, even when it’s not, that’s how our Heavenly Father sees our lives. Jesus looks at the picture of our life and sees a masterpiece because he loves us.

Peter’s Second Chance

When I think of second chances, I think of the story of Peter. Could there be any better example? I was reading this week in the book of Mark. Chapter sixteen tells of the resurrection of Jesus. An angel appears at the tomb and talks to the women who are searching for Jesus.

And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Mark 16:5-7 (KJV)

I love that phrase, “Tell his disciples and Peter…” Peter, the man who just betrayed Jesus gets a shout-out. Jesus gave him a second chance. Jesus knew Peter’s greatest moments would follow his greatest failure.

Those Who Have Been Forgiven Much

I think of the story of the woman who wiped Jesus’ feet with her tears. The Pharisees criticize Jesus. They say, “If Jesus really knew what an awful sinner she was, he would never allow himself to be near her.” Jesus rebuked them and responded to them saying, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Of course, the opposite is true. To whom much is forgiven, the same loveth much.

People who have been forgiven much are capable of great love for others. These people are the ones who help the hurting and the down and outers in life. These are the people who really make a difference in this life.

A Masterpiece

So to you, your life looks messy and nothing like you thought it would. But God looks at it and he sees a jewel in the making. He sees all the crooked lines and the mistakes coming together. He’s the masterful artist creator who can take anything and turn it into a beautiful showpiece. Remember, sometimes we have to choose to love the life we have, not the one we want.

If you don’t feel like you add up to anything today if you feel like you’ve made too many mistakes, know this- Jesus loves you and hasn’t given up on you. If you’re breathing, you still have a life to live and a picture to paint with your life. God’s given you a second chance. Let’s make the most of it. When you let God be the master artist, he makes a masterpiece out of your life.