In the middle of the Vatican, there is a hall called, “The Vatican Hall of Tapestries”. The artist is Raffaello Sanzio who was in charge of the drawings, which he sent to Brussels to be transformed into huge tapestries. It was first opened to the public on December 26, 1519. 

I walked slowly down the hall, mesmerized that someone could produce these masterpieces. At one point, I stopped, looked around to see where the guards were, and then leaned over the rope to see the back of the tapestry. It was one colour merging into another, with some threads still loose, looking quite disheveled. I then stepped back to see the masterpiece; what a contrast. 

I reflected for a while, before needing to catch up with Denise and our group, and thought of what we see and what God sees. Ephesians 2: 10 says, "For we are his workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 

When we became a child of God, through trusting in Jesus, God put forth His most powerful and creative effort to make you new. The word for workmanship actually means a masterpiece, skillfully, and artfully created in Christ Jesus. It is God’s creative and artistic genius that went into your making. Wow! 

God continues to work with us, molding, sculpting and it is in times like this Covid-19 season, where there seems to be extra work happening in us. At least I feel that in myself. Our enemy knows this, and we are ever in a battle. It is so crucial that we pay attention and understand 2 Corinthians 2:11. A close friend recently shared with us, that Satan’s strategy with us in these days, is to intimidate us, so we are always anxious and it impacts our faith and trust in God. 

Yours and my tapestries are still in process. In these times, we can focus on the wrong side of the tapestry. I have written down six points I must hang onto as I trust my Grand Weaver. 

1. My security and identity must be focused on Jesus, not what I do, or have accomplished or not accomplished, or how I am feeling in isolation. 

2. God’s ways are not my ways and are beyond my human understanding. There is clarity, however, in looking back. Looking ahead, often, they are beyond my thinking, reasoning, and control.

3. These days, I am hearing the knock of Jesus on my heart’s door, more distinctly. Some have said to me, in this time of isolation, they are hearing the voice of the Spirit. This reminds me of Your Presence and that You are always with me.

4. God alone knows what lies before me today. Help me Lord, to be in this world and yet not of it. 

5. Do not allow my focus on the uncertainty of tomorrow, become a stumbling block, so that my enemy temps me to do evil and not to trust You.

6. Do not let me miss what You are doing in my life and in our church; and even more that I would miss what you have for me and our church in the new normal ahead. 

What is our mission? To be like Jesus. I am praying that during these days of isolation and then post-pandemic, I will be more like Him. To model His method of how He taught, resist temptation as He resisted it, handle conflicts as he did and to pray the prayer He taught us, “Lord, give me this day, my daily bread." Not for tomorrow or next week or next year, today! 

It is amazing that Jesus would say to us in Ephesians 2, that we are His masterpiece. I sense Him adding a few new threads and colours.  Trust your Grand Weaver. 

Bruce