08/06/2025
From an ugly stain to a masterpiece-Lew Gervais
A while ago I read about a fascinating true story that happened over a century and a half ago in a Scottish seaside inn. The story goes like this: A group of fishermen were relaxing after a long day at sea. As a serving maid was walking past with a pot of tea, one of the fishermen made a gesture to describe the size of the fish that got away, when his hand collided with the teapot. I went crashing against the whitewashed wall, where its contents left a huge ugly brown stain. The innkeeper in frustration remarked that the entire wall will now need to be repainted. Then one of the patrons said, “Maybe not. Let me work with that stain, before you decide to repaint the wall.” The patron returned a few minutes later with a box of brushes and paints and he started turning the ugly stain into a beautiful painting of a stag with a full head of antlers. When he finished, he signed his name at the bottom of the painting and left. Everyone in the room was mesmerized as they watched him turn that ugly stain into a beautiful painting. The name of the artist was E. H. Landseer a famous wildlife painter.
Romans 8:28 says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Those words are very comforting to most people, but some people only see the four words… “God causes all things; and from those four words they conclude that everything good and bad that happens is God’s doing. I had a client in my office a while ago who was grieving because his fiancé had died from a drug overdose a few years earlier. He asked me why God took this young mother away from her kids and loved ones. I explained to him that it doesn’t say that God causes all things to happen. It says that He causes all things to work together for good. I told him that her death resulted in his sobriety. I also pointed out that his more recent conversion to Faith in Christ was also the result of God using a bad thing (her death) to open his eyes to the gospel. Now her death makes a lot more sense to him when he looks at everything from that perspective. God will often use the bad things that happen to us for good. He uses those bad experiences to transform us, by painting an awesome masterpiece out of our pain. Then he uses us to help others who are in pain. As long as we live in this broken (sinful, evil) world, with other broken people, we will experience bad things. Pain might be the immediate result of our pain, however, down the road we will see the masterpiece that He will create out of our pain. He will then use that masterpiece to help other people who are in pain.
Maybe you have some ugly stains in your life that cause you pain or guilt. Or perhaps you have disappointments of things you had hoped would happen, or wished had never happened to you. Any number of things can be stains in our lives. But here is the good news: God can turn any stain in our lives into a thing of beauty. He can recycle all our pain, and use it to strengthen us so our lives can become a living testimony to others who know us. If a painter can turn an ugly brown tea stain into a piece of art, what do you think God can do with the stains in our lives, if we give them over to Him to work on?
John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Because He has overcome the world, when we put our trust in Christ, we also become an overcomer like Him. Overcoming any addiction is no easy task, but it is doable, when we ask for His help. That process of change doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen as long as we continue to walk this life with Him.
For over thirty years Hope Ministries has been "Helping Hearts Heal" by directing them to the One who desires to turn their ugly stains into beautiful works of art. We offer counselling, free of charge, to guide you through whatever situations life might be throwing your way. We couldn't do it without the support of our partners and sponsors so we want to thank you for being an important part of our ministry team. Your donations and prayers are a constant encouragement to us.
