I recently had the opportunity to photograph this local abandoned factory. When I first shot this photo the colors and textures pulled me in. Today when I posted it on instagram I was drawn to the peeling paint.
Years ago, actually more years than I’d like to admit, I worked in a steel mill. I started as everyone else did in the dreaded labor gang. It was gruelingly hard work. When we had down time, our foremen would always make us paint and paint we did. We painted everything, the floor, the walls, the tools, the machinery, people’s shoes, you get the idea. We never prepared the surface just painted over the old paint, dirt, oil, grease, just painted over all of it. As I reflected on this photo I was drawn back into painting. All those layers of paint now peeling away revealing what lies beneath.
I’ve spent a lot of time discerning my call over the past two years. Peeling the layers of paint away, trying to reveal what God had created me to be. Layer after layer, coat after coat, I peeled and peeled and peeled. What I discovered, is that I covered a lot of pain with a fresh coat of paint. God knew what was under those layers but I had lost touch with that part of myself. What I learned on my journey of self discovery is that God accepts and loves me as I am.
My prayer for you today…. Stop painting! Be you! You are loved as you are a fresh coat of paint is not required!