IOW: The Colors of His Mosaic

Thank you, Darlene and Christian Women Online, for the privilege of hosting this week's In "Other" Words. The task of picking a quote worthy of reflection and discussion was not as simple as I thought! I hope this quote from Amy Grant's new book, Mosaic, will offer colorful discussion revealing God's extravagant grace in all our lives.

“In our lives the darkest times, the days that are bleak and black, add depth to every other experience. Like the dark bits of color in a mosaic, they add the contrast and shadows that give beauty to the whole, but they are just a small part of the big picture.”

~ Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far, by Amy Grant ~

I curled up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a rush of excitement. After years of reading books about parenting, faith, and relationships, I was ready for something fresh. I was pretty sure Amy Grant's new book was about to fit that desire perfectly. By the second page of the introduction, Amy captured my attention as she retold a conversation with Minnie Pearl.

"Amy, do you know what the most important color is in an artist's palette?... Child, it's black. Black is the most important color for an artist. You see, without black there is not depth. Without black everything appears flat. But mix black with any color and you can paint an object so real you want to reach out and touch it."

Yes! I knew exactly what she was talking about as I looked above my head, appreciating the finished painting on the wall in a new light. For days, I studied my canvas from various angles trying to assess what was wrong with my painting. Granted, it had been 15 years since I painted with acrylics, and never on a canvas of this size, but I still felt I ought to be able to figure it out. Finally, my husband (who is anything BUT an artist), pointed it out. It was flat. Yes. I needed to add some sort of shadowing to give it the dimension it demanded. I needed to take that brave and intimidating step of introducing black into my painting, knowing it was the only way to give life to the flower.

Using black was the most uncomfortable part of the whole creation. What if it was too dark? What if I messed up the whole painting in an effort to make it better? After a couple of attempts at mixing the right color and changing brushes, I achieved just the right shade and texture. Finally, my painting began to hold the depth and dimension it craved.

Both Amy Grant and Minnie Pearl take the painting lesson to the spiritual and physical realm as they consider the black and bleak times in our lives. They suggest that without the dark days, there would be no dimension in our world and experiences. On one hand, I agree. Through the dark times in our lives, God shapes our hearts and character. As a result of personal struggles, we become more compassionate toward others and more appreciative of God's grace.

Yet, I'd like to say that Amy and Minnie missed the real reason our lives would lack dimension. It is not the darkness that is significant, but rather the contrast of light of that brings out the beauty. Without the light of Christ, this world is entirely dark. Our canvas is not white, like a traditional painting. It is black, covered with the sin of the world. There is no mosaic; just one dark shard piece of glass upon another. But in Christ, who is the light of the world, there is hope, joy, peace, fulfillment. In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." And in Ephesians 5:13-14, the apostle Paul declared, that "everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible."

The mosaic of our lives contains both light and darkness. The question is which will define us? Shall it be our sinful ways and fleshly desires? Or shall it be marked by the light of Christ, reflecting God's glory and beautiful creation?

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6

image from the Holy Theophany Orthodox Church
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Thank you for joining in this week's In "Other" Words sponsored by Christian Women Online. Be sure to leave a comment below, sign Mister Linky to connect to your post, and enjoy visiting other IOW posts. You'll certainly be inspired by other women reflecting on the mosaic of their lives.