While recovering from cervical spine surgery, I tried to branch out a bit. I read A LOT—everything from The Reagan Diaries to The Case For Christ to Lloyd Alexander’s series The Book of Three. I learned to like a few new bands and songs. I even took a painting class with my Aunt Gail.

During that class, I re-learned some of the basics of painting and learned some new things, also. I learned how to mix my own colors and about the different kinds of brushes and what can be created using each different one. I learned how to make “reflections” on water and even how to erase my mistakes—if I catch them soon enough!
On my last day of class, my teacher, Joyce, was showing me how to put the finishing touches on my painting. My job was to paint a few pieces of “uniquely hued” grass right around the front of the trees. Since she didn’t think I needed very many of these fuchsia and orange grasses, she was reluctant to allow me to add those colors to my palette. This was because most people—when squeezing paint out of the tube onto the palette—use too much and waste the paint.
To solve this problem, Joyce brought me one of those small plastic containers filled with the leftover paint from previous weeks. She showed me how to take the tiny, pointy brush (Okay—so I didn’t learn all the names of the brushes), dip into water to thin out the paint, and then paint the grasses.
So, here I was dipping my brush into this small plastic container filled with paint. As I dipped I thought, “Well, I never thought I’d be using this contraption as a palette. Just goes to show ya that almost anything can be used to be creative. You just can’t count anything out, can ya?”
Immediately, I stilled. You know, the way they do in the movies when someone has an epiphany. I thought again, “It’s kinda like Christianity, yeah? You just can’t count anyone out.” Christians come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. People—who aren’t anything like what we think Christians are or ought to be—can become Christians. They can be affected by the Gospel and then be molded and shaped by God’s Word.
It is easy to behave like the people described in James 2: 1-3. We decide—based on someone’s dress or words or actions—that they wouldn’t be interested in learning about God’s love. And really, who are we to judge? When Jesse presented Eliab as a possible future king of Israel, God Himself said, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (II Samuel 16: 7)
Just a few verses later (vss. 11-13), David, the youngest of Jesse’s boys was picked over all his elder brothers. This was just the beginning of David’s usefulness to God. By the end of his life, God described David as a man after his own heart.
In Bible times, women weren’t really looked upon as equal citizens in ability or worth. Nevertheless, the Bible is rife with examples of women who helped make the church stronger. Dorcas, for example, was well-known for her godly works. (Acts 9:36, 39) She spent her days making clothes for those who were needy and being kind and good. Lydia, a businesswoman in the city of Thyatira, upon learning of God’s love, obeyed His commands and immediately began working at encouraging brethren and strengthening the Kingdom. (Acts 9 and 16: 14, 15, 40)
In II Timothy 1:5, Paul gave kudos to Lois and Eunice, the mother and grandmother of Timothy for their work in making Timothy the man he was—Paul’s right hand man. Mary Magdalene began her spiritual journey as a demon-filled woman. After they were expelled, she began contributing monetarily to the work of God. (Luke 8:2) Mary, was one of the few standing at the Cross as Christ died (John 19: 25) and was the one of Christ’s followers who discovered his empty tomb on the third day. (John 20: 1-2) Despite her dubious origins, Mary was clearly part of that special group of people with whom Christ spent His last days.
Peter, along with his brother, Andrew, was merely a fisherman working in a family owned business when he met Christ. However, He helped them to become “fishers of men” (Mk. 1:16-18) and—on the day of Pentecost—thousands of souls were added to the Kingdom because of his efforts. (Acts 2:41, 42, 47)
If we are looking through the feeble and cloudy eyes of man, it is so easy to mis-read people and their intentions and their attitudes. My sister and brother-in-law, at their first meeting with me, saw—instead of an immoral, alcoholic fornicator—a soul who needed God’s love and forgiveness. I thank God GREATLY for their clear and loving eyes. I hope we’ll all make diligent efforts to see people through the eyes of God. Just some food for thought. Love y’all.