God's Masterpiece - Thoughts from Karen Parrish

 The following post was written by Karen Parrish who was a member of our Family/Teen Team.  Karen is a teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary in Oak Ridge, NC.  We loved having her and her daughter, Katie Lee on our team!

This week we are using Ephesians 2:10 as our theme for art camp. It reads, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I am seeing God use this verse to influence the children, participating in art camp, our team and myself.

              This week we are using various crafts in order to teach the children that they are God’s masterpiece. For example, at the opening assembly in the beginning of the week I was deeply influenced not only by the touching words of Stephanie that reiterated Ephesians 2:10, but the attentive look of the children’s faces when listening. I could tell God was speaking through Stephanie and she was etching the word “God’s masterpiece” on their heart. Our team also looks like God’s colorful masterpiece since we are made up of teens, parents, children, and college students from different locations. As we pair off to lead art groups, we see how our different ways of thinking and talents work together.

              On Sunday we spent time in Gerona, an impoverished area outside of Guatemala City, there I realized that they are smart, resourceful, beautiful, and resilient. I learned that the people there, while impoverished with money, are not impoverished in how God created them. He showed me the colorful people of Guatemala. God is using these masterpieces to grow the understanding of the love He has for these people. How fitting that Guatemala is known for its colorful cloth. This reflects God’s workmanship.