The Frame

This morning I am thinking about a large picture frame that is sitting on the counter in my laundry room.  Although the frame has been empty for quite a while, it wasn’t set aside because it is broken or defective in any way.  In fact, it is fully intact and rather pretty.  The reason the frame is sitting there is that I don’t yet have that “just right” piece of art to perfectly complement it and be complemented by it.  Over time I had become somewhat accustomed to seeing the frame as it is, holding nothing.  For the past few weeks, however, I have been acutely mindful that the frame was not fashioned or intended to remain tucked away on a counter in a laundry room.  Instead, it was made to be displayed in such a place and in such a way as to encompass and exhibit the beauty of something else...something which will, in turn, highlight its own beauty.  Once again I have begun pondering what I might buy to go in the frame.  In doing so, I am moved by an interesting insight.  When I consider what would make a great complementary art piece, I don’t think about the emptiness of the frame.  I do, however, think about its unique characteristics.  Besides its dimensions, I think about the warmth of its colors and the artistry of its design.  This is how I will know IT—that just right picture—when I see it.  If my focus had been solely on the emptiness of the frame, I suppose I would have stuck something, anything, in it a while ago.  There are countless pictures that could have filled the frame’s physical dimensions.  But I’m looking for a piece that will also fill the “soul” of the frame…a piece that is distinctive in color and texture and subject.  There is something very special about the frame.  Put simply, it has taught me to be purposeful in my patience.  And today it is sweetly, silently exhorting me to apply this lesson when making decisions of even greater consequence.  If I view myself through the lens of “empty,” “unfulfilled,” or “something’s missing,” it could drive me to make hasty and regrettable choices.  So I am learning to perceive and speak of myself as “whole,” “unique,” and “prepared.”  This helps me to be much more discerning and deliberate in my choices.  I have to smile as I remember that God knows my frame.  He also knows the plans He has for me, and they preclude my staying forever tucked away on some shelf.  Indeed, God has designed me to be a showcase for faith, joy, peace, compassion, love, and other priceless creations of His grace.  In His wisdom, He knows how and when to manifest and guide me to every person, place, or thing that will produce a reciprocal wholeness and beauty.  Yes, sometimes I may have to wait a while.  Still, it is worth the wait.  For if I am purposeful in my patience, I will be part of a Masterpiece.