One Person's Junk is Another Person's Art

Tonight our family had dinner with the Lewis family at their home. It was a great time of not just “socialization” but Christian fellowship as we talked about the things of the Lord, we learned more about each other and how to pray for one another. Paige and Darya were hanging out, doing what girls do with cell phones….run to the bathroom and take pictures! Preston and Jayden were out front playing.

After dinner Jayden comes in the dining room with a request, “Can I have a picture?” Knowing my son who has a love for photography like his momma, I thought he meant take a picture of something he saw outside. So I told him, sure use my camera, it is sitting right over there. Beep! Halt! Stop! No! Wrong interpretation this time, momma!

Jayden informed me he didn’t want to take a picture, but he wanted to take a picture home, like in a real picture you hang on the wall. He went on to explain that there was all this trash sitting on the curb outside of a house in the Lewis’s neighborhood. I told him no he couldn’t take someone else’s trash, he then assured me there was a sign that said, “FREE STUFF”. Well that certainly settles it because we are all about FREE, see what this coupon craze is doing to him?

Again, I reaffirmed a negative as in no. Then Jayden had plan B as he always does in his arsenal. This was to take a picture of the picture to show me what a great picture it was and surely once I saw the masterpiece I would change my mind. So he borrowed Tara’s phone took a picture and brought it back to convince and convert me.

I looked at the picture on the phone and agreed that it certainly did look like it would match his room (cowboy décor). I know we are Indians, but we live in Oklahoma and I like Cowboy/Indian décor.

However, I still said no. What’s a boy to do when faced with two negatives? Try and try again, so off Jayden goes with Preston as his tail following close behind on this big junk rescue mission. I know he was thinking if she could only see it in person, then she will let me have this piece of art for my room.

The BIG JUNK Masterpiece

Next through the door comes Jayden carrying this piece of art with the front facing him and the back facing us and to my surprise and unbeknownst to Jayden the back of the picture was a silhouette of woman’s shapely figure. He flips the picture around to reveal the masterpiece he has found for his room. My hand flew to my head in disbelief of what was on the back of the picture that was on the curb, cutting my eyelid with my ring. As I bled I told him no he could not take that home and when he asked why, I informed him the back had a picture of a naked woman (silhouette mind you and thank you God!). His eyes popped open with his face full of surprised expression which served as evidence to us that he obviously was unaware what was on the back!

Then he declared he was not walking all the way back to take it back, but my brilliant husband said if you take it back there is a chocolate brownie in it for you and off he went. Yes, we bribed our child with chocolate.

Often times as adults we want something for ourselves as urgently as Jayden wanted that picture, but we have to be careful because just like that picture with a hidden picture on the back, we may dig up a surprise and find we get something we really didn’t want.

Have you ever prayed and asked God something for repeatedly? With a negative answer repeatedly? If so, I think He was protecting you from a hidden depiction that you didn’t see at the moment. One thing I learned this past week at the Feminar is that God is working in ways we can not see. God’s goodness always precedes our awareness. Just as it did tonight, another living parable straight from God.

Had to add this picture of the girls, just thought it was too precious.
Now this is what I call "masterpieces"...fearfully and wonderfully made!