by Tim Brand, Executive Leader for MH4H

Recently, a staff member in Haiti took this picture. At first glance, it’s just another picture – graffiti written on some tin fencing, not abnormal to Haiti. But the more I looked, the more it spoke. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, as it had a story to tell.

First, look at the canvas; it is tarnished and far from ideal. The tin is uneven and rusted. Parts are broken, scratched, and dirty. The bolts holding it together aren’t straight, and the wood behind it is warped. Alone, it is worthless. It is just a rusted, tin fence like a thousand others all over the world. But write the word “love” on it, and it morphs. It is transformed. It is different.

The canvas itself cannot take credit for this transformation. It wasn’t like the rust went away, the bolts suddenly straightened, or the scratches and scars disappeared. No, those are still evident, and they are still a part of the canvas’ story. However, the author has changed the meaning of the canvas with one act – covering it with “love.”  No longer are the dents and ugly parts of the canvas the first you see. Love stands out. Love comes through. Love wins.

Isn’t it the same with us? We are all broken people, ugly and bent on our own. We go through life, and life beats us up. We make bad choices, others hurt us, and things happen outside of our control that scar us forever. Then the Author, with one act of love, changes everything about us.

Through an incredible act of love on the cross, Jesus forever changed the story for each of us. For now, we are marked in love by the King of Heaven. When we accept the Father’s love for us, we tell His remarkable story despite our broken canvases. We no longer are ordinary, broken people, but rather image bearers for a message the world needs to know.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. Life in the fullest. Life way beyond what you can ever do on your own. We need to do nothing more than let the Author take our brokenness, our ugliness, our imperfections and let Him write His story on us.