"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10 NLT

God has recently allowed every facet of my life to be dismantled. Not too long ago, I prayed THE dangerous prayer. I took my husband, my family, my house, my kids, my time, my talent, and my treasure and I laid it on the altar. I prayed that God would take all that He had given me and use it for His kingdom. Then everything started falling apart. Most would think that was a bad thing. Some may even go as far as to say that I never should have prayed it if that’s what was going to happen. But even now, sitting in the middle of everything, including my family, being dismantled, I would disagree.

The last couple of weeks have been the absolute hardest of my life, yet God kept putting one word in my heart and my head. As if trying to lovingly let me know that the story isn’t over. The word was "Masterpiece." And for the last two weeks it has literally been everywhere. The definition of the word ‘masterpiece’ is a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship. I can tell you that my life doesn’t feel very outstanding at the moment, but it got me thinking. Every time I paint, it never starts out pretty. In fact, it’s messy, it’s unorganized, and downright frustrating at times. And that parallel isn’t lost on me. In fact, I believe that God works very much the same way in us and our lives. God is the ultimate Master artist and He has the capability to create a masterpiece with the snap of His mighty finger, but in fact it’s the process in creating the masterpiece within us that is really of such importance.

God’s greatest masterpiece, sending His son to die on the cross in the ultimate act of reckless love for us, didn’t happen in one snap of His mighty finger. It was messy, it was brutal, and it was grueling for Jesus. Yet He suffered it anyway because He loved us so much. And the end result is our salvation and knowing that God's love for us is immeasurable and beautiful even through the breaking.

So I sit here, in the midst of a fallen-apart life and I can be encouraged. I can encourage all of you, that no matter how hard things seem right now, you and your life are God's Masterpiece. He knows when we don’t. He’s the ultimate artist. DO NOT GIVE UP!