A sunday afternoon

"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" painted by Georges Seurat is a beautiful picture.  I first saw this picture 3 years ago at a Big Stuf Conference in Panama City Beach, Florida.  I was there with our youth group and out on the boardwalk they displayed a copy of this painting.  I looked at it but didn't think much about it, until they explained why they were displaying it.  

You see, the artist painted that painting not in brushstrokes, but in pin dots.   Seurat contrasted miniature dots or small brushstrokes of colors that when unified optically in the human eye were perceived as a single shade or hue. He believed that this form of painting, called divisionism at the time but now known as pointillism, would make the colors more brilliant and powerful than standard brush strokes.   When you stand afar, you see the beautiful masterpiece in front of you.  But, when you get up close you can see that it was created with millions of dots...time consuming, painstakingly placed dots.

Such is our life.  We are God's masterpiece but we get so wrapped up in trying to see the BIG PICTURE, that we fail to see the beauty of the artist as he uses each life experience to create that masterpiece.  God uses every experience, every tragedy, every trial, every relationship, every success and failure of our lives to create US.  What they taught us at Big Stuf that year was all about "Konnektions"  Every connection in our life is a dot on the canvas of our masterpiece.  When in pain we can only concentrate on that pain - what is right in front of us. But, this pain and suffering and chaos in our lives is a way to connect with our creator.  CS Lewis expressed that you can become a megaphone for God when you connect to God through your pain.  We were put here to make connections, and what we connect with matters:  how we use our gifts, who our friends are, how we move towards our future, our family, our places and positions in the world.  I know this was a great experience for our youth - learning about "Konnektions"...but it opened my eyes.  That picture has changed me.  It made me realize that God doesn't allow me to go thru things to discourage me or to hurt me, but to change me.  He is using each and every experience, every connection to create His masterpiece - ME. My Life.  

So, embrace your DOTS.  Know that God uses all things for our good, even when it hurts.  Its to make us stronger, wiser, bolder, and to boost us toward our destiny in Him.  We have a purpose on this earth and each connection brings us closer to it.  So, remember, what we see as circumstances, God sees as opportunities.  Embrace them!