It was just an old chalkboard and from the level of dust that covered it, I had to guess it had been tucked away behind the file cabinets that sat against the wall of the warehouse for a very, very, VERY long time.
I pulled it out because I needed to ship out the file cabinets covering it for an auction and when I saw how big the board was I just stopped and looked at it for just a moment. In fact I looked at it for a little while and on it's surface I saw something really cool!
I found some cleaner and I wiped the dust away and when the dark surface gleamed clean, I reached down and picked up a piece of old chalk that had fallen off of the tray and I began to run it across the surface and before I knew it, I had drawn out a face.
The face captured what I think Jesus must have felt on the day that He approached the temple in the story of the money changers. "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves," ~ Matthew 21:12 Do you remember that story? He walked into the temple and saw this group of business men had set up shop and were selling sacrifices in order to make things convenient for the people. There was a problem with this because the people were supposed to bring their sacrifice TO the temple not have God or the reason for the sacrifice as an afterthought. I imagine it was sadness at first slowly building to a frustrated anger. Religion was again attempting to hijack God's work.
This is very interesting to me because out of all of the sacrifices these men were selling that day, why mention just the doves?
The doves were used as a sacrifice for the poor people who could not afford the more costly sacrifices. (see Leviticus 12:6; Leviticus 14:22; Luke 2:24).
There were people who had set up shop and essentially were prepared to take your money and make change so you could conveniently purchase a pre-packaged act of worship. They would even convert what foreign currency that you came into the temple with and find a way to make every thing work out for the best. Although we no longer need the animal sacrifices today, the practice of conveniently pre-packaging God and His work still goes on today.
I like this story because it truly reveals Jesus' heart to what matters the most to God. He wants nothing different now then He did back in this event.
He wants the heart.
He wants you. He wants ALL of you.
As I was drawing and bringing this picture to life on this chalkboard I had this thought I wanted to share.
Our life is very much like a blank chalk board. Some people will look at their chalkboard and see it as a place where problems and equations will be written to forever keep them frustrated. Others will see it as a place to write important solutions and quotes to inspire others who pause to read them, and still others will see their chalkboard as a place to create.
The thing that excites me about life with Christ is something He said when He walked this earth.
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."~John 10:10
The chalk is everything about you that makes you unique and special. It's your voice. It's your message. It's your anthem, and your very life song.
The chalk is a representation of your talents and abilities. Art, poetry, and song; it is the skill that you have. It has been given to you for the express purpose of making your mark on the board. Your chalk differs in color from everyone else and what you are able to create is indeed without limitations.
He gave you the ability to choose what you do with the chalk.
Take the Chalk today and choose to express Father!
Create and show Him off to everyone that passes by your chalkboard.
The warehouse now displays a really awesome reminder that life is short and it is completely up to you what you choose to do with it. Choose to "CHALK IT UP" for Him!!!
Chalking with you,
~Dan
Very inspiring
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