“The second coat is on!” Those were the words spoken to me as I walked into the garage with some new plants from my favorite seller. The reason they were going into the garage is that the nights are still freezing here, and will be for some weeks now. My “Yard Boy” husband wasn’t talking about wearing two pieces of outerwear, he was referring to the beautiful paint job he did on the beehives.
Yes, it looks like our little patch of flowers and vegetables will soon have extra help getting pollinated. The second coat of paint had just been finished, just in time to put the plants on the work surface now vacated by the beehives.
While it wasn’t cold enough to bundle ourselves up in two coats, the hives needed some winter protection in the form of exterior latex. We had just had our living room painted a new color earlier this year, and we also took the opportunity to paint a few other old things to match the new color.
The old non-color was streaked and smudged from years of being lived in; the new color was fresh and pretty.
Doesn’t fresh paint make you smile?
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered” Romans 4:7, NKJV).
Sometimes we just need to put on another coat of forgiveness for people who surround us. It does what a good fresh coat of pain does: it covers up the flaws, the imperfections, and most of the scars. Have we already forgiven, but been wronged again? Touch up or re-paint! Can’t seem to forgive ourselves? Put on a new coat!
There are so many reasons to put on another coat:
- It hides what was under it.it’s like a brand new piece of furniture, or end table, or whatever.
- It protects. Like the beehives and their fresh new wood, love can cover and protect the most tender of souls, whether they be new Christians, children, or those who are hurting.
- It changes. Like our drab beige living room, sometimes ugliness can suddenly smack us in the eyes, even if we hadn’t noticed before. When we see any ugliness in ourselves that needs to change, bring out the paintbrushes, figuratively! If it’s time for a spiritual makeover, ask God for help with the transformations that need to happen.
One thing this “covering up” is not — It is not a “coverup” for evil. For paint to hide, protect, and transform, the right prep work must be done. We didn’t paint over labels, dirt, or rough patches that didn’t see some work done to them first.
Love and forgiveness require prep work, too. Only then can they do that marvelous “coat” that they are meant to do.
“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” 1 Peter 4:8).