Painting's Painting

Catherine
'Sand it first' I said to David. But short cut was too tempting. Why waste time sanding, the surface looks nice and flat, should be ok? So, gloss paint put on over the top of shiny gloss paint. Following day David rang up: 'there are lots of runs, it looks awful'. 'Did you sand it like I said?', 'No' he confessed. 'Oops' I said (resisting the urge to giggle and say I told you so) So a couple of  days peeling off paint, stripping it back down, ready to sand and start again. What seemed like a shortcut that would help get things done quicker, turned out to be something which caused lots of mess and needed redoing.

David
Catherine happens to be a Research Chemist  with an MChem, (last published paper 'Nuclear motion effects on the 13C, 19F and 1H shielding in methyl fluoride - although I recommend her most recent book 'Thinking Allowed') One of her last jobs was making coatings for aircraft windows where the main difficulty was getting the coatings to stick. There is no-one I know with more credibility and authority to speak on the subject! Adhesion is important!! Yet, I glibly ignored the advice, tripped over the unused sander she had brought round and went ahead, confident in my own ignorance!

I was impressed by Catherine's response to my foolishness. She could have been angry or at least exasperated. She could have shrugged and left us to it. She might easily have lectured and been self-righteous. She did laugh, but with us, not at us. Then she rolled up her sleeves and spent the next couple of days working with us side by side, good-humouredly redeeming the situation. That spoke loudly to me about how God works: He has absolutely the credibility and authority to advise. He has provided the tools necessary to do the best job possible. Yet when I ignore His advice, when I confess my foolishness, He too rolls up His sleeve, laughs with me and gets on with co-working to see the situation redeemed.

Catherine
Easy to see the parallel between the decorating debacle and our faith walk. In missing the preparation, the developing of godly character, the sanding off of rough bits, the learning to stand on truth, and wearing full armour, we are left weak and vulnerable in the battle. Like David's paint, the coating is not tough or durable, but easy to peel and break off. We nead to ready ourselves, to prepare in order to engage in the battle and live as light. So what rough bits need sanding? In what areas is God's truth slipping off, because there are things there which are stopping it sticking?

So....
Let's not gloss over stuff and issues in our lives rather than dealing with them, even if it takes a bit of time! Even if it takes a bit of effort in the short term, let's listen to the voice of authority - it saves lots of effort in the long term! And when we do mess up, let's be quick to confess and enjoy the fellowship that comes from co-working with God to redeem.


And don't forget to buy the book....