scribbling to make a point

the other day at work, my friend took a pencil and started to 'color' with it, leaning it over almost horizontally in order to rub off the fat sides and sharpen the end. i knew what he was doing, but it still tickled me. and when he noticed me noticing, he said, "i'm scribbling to make a point."

for some reason that phrase stuck with me.

and stuck with me.

it made me think about how we can get so messy sometimes. we can appear to be just 'drizzling' pages with graphite. making scribbles. looking like kids' scrawl. clumsy.

and then we call it our best effort.

maybe it is. or maybe we're just being a bit lazy. or it really could be our best effort because we haven't stepped it up and honed our 'drawing' skills. or maybe we think those that are viewing our work won't understand a more mature skill so we dumb it down. or we don't really feel like our audience is worth a better production.

whatever the reason, i guess i'm just not satisfied with any of my work or efforts appearing to be scribble. if i want to make a point or if i have an end goal, i want clarity, focus, beauty, truth. if i have to get off the couch to do it, i want to want to.

take it to the heavenly realm. consider those who need to know who Jesus is. consider those dying without his love. what are we doing about it?

are we trying to reach them with minimal efforts? are we painting a fuzzy picture of Christ? how well do we know the Father that we are trying to introduce to others?

if we aren't honing our painting skills, what kind of picture of God can we really produce? if we aren't studying to teach, worshiping to love, learning to further ourselves and the kingdom then what in our lives clearly and truthfully focuses on what really matters? and what about us points others to The Light? how hard are we willing to work to point heavenward?

i fear my efforts fall painfully short. i fear i am not creating a colorful, delightful image on the one canvas i've been given.

Father - please. PLEASE! help me to be busy and hard at heavenly work. i want to point others truthfully, simply and clearly to you. and i don't want my life to look like a messy, clumsy rendition of someone "giving their best" efforts when you have created me to accomplish more than i will admit.

please let my life look like more than scribbling to make a point.

for your Honor and your Glory!