What it looks like to paint

I had the privilege of supervising some very talented people on a mural project in the summer of 2011. Natasha was the brilliant person in charge of the details: the design, the instruction, the correction, the scheduling of various volunteer painters. It was incredible in its scope and beauty, and I, with no painting gifts and a deep appreciation for artists, got to watch things come along. Even better, I got to paint a few stones here and there myself.

I learned a lot of little things from Natasha about painting: you can leave your brushes in water overnight; you can wrap your roller in foil and put it in the frig; you can cover your containers with tin foil and use them again. These things saved us so much time by reducing the amount of labor involved in cleaning. They also drove our maintenance manager a little crazy, because our space looked messy. Sometimes the paint actually dried out, so a little might have been wasted. But I must say, washing the paint out of every container, every brush, every time, also wastes paint.

Now, as I am painting my house--just putting paint in a solid color in the gameroom, girls' bedrooms, the hallway, the exterior (nothing complex or interesting)--I am delighted to use what I learned from Natasha. I have painted lots before, but now I am more confident. I have SEEN someone do this, and I am more solid for the acquaintance.

This phenomenon of modeling is necessary to the Christian. Without seeing, you cannot be solid. You can know what to do from reading and studying, but someone who comes alongside of you makes a huge difference. Subtleties get passed on that your mentor is not even aware of. May you rub off on people as you go about your everyday life, using the skills God gave you. Thanks, Natasha.