IMPACThought of the Week: The blank canvass

May is the season of proms, final exams, and commencement exercises.

In the warmth of the spring season, the fragrance of sentimental memories, sweet dreams, and next steps blossom.

The month of May bridges the successes of yesterday with the uncertain possibilities of tomorrow.

The chapters of the long, winding journey to this moment have been beautifully written, with its memories preserved forever on smartphone clouds and printed yearbooks.

With the culmination of achievements and milestones comes unlimited potential for the future. Indeed, as we progress through our lives, we realize that there will always be a new challenge before us. That is the reason that we call graduations “commencements.” It is only the beginning of the uncharted journey that lies before us.

Imagine a blank canvas on an easel. You hold the brush. Before you is a rainbow of colors on your artist palette. In your imagination, you have visualized an abundance of fancy colors blending to create your masterpiece. You have a dream, and now is the time to step forward to make your dream a reality. Your canvas is now being painted.

A backward look at the paintings we created, with the colors we chose, and the message we projected, may now look skewed.

Our lives have become a tapestry of complexities and complications. Nonetheless, beauty is in the proverbial eye of the beholder. Hues of black and gray may have been the predominant colors in the last painting. However, another canvas can be procured, and the next painting can be created.

Life is ever changing. Yesterday’s storms often produce brilliant rainbows with a pot of gold. We continue painting.

Whether you are a graduate or a retiree, there is more life to dream and more paintings to paint. Until the day you die, you need a fresh dream. Your imagination needs to be ignited with the possibilities of making an impact in your community, civic organization, and church.

Yesterday’s achievement milestone is merely the stepping stone to future possibilities … step by step, moment by moment, day after day. It is all work for us to do on the canvas.

Dreams really can come true. We must be compelled to dream big. A vision of the impossible must be planted in our eyes. As a Christian, the possibilities for conquest are a prayer away. God is pleased by faith … bold, audacious, and brash dreams.

Think of the great heroes of the Bible. They were all impactors who attempted remarkable things for God and expected remarkable things from God. What tremendous canvasses were painted by ordinary people trusting an almighty God. There is a lesson for us all to learn. Nobody is limited by their mental or physical capabilities. The only limitation is inactivity.

It is time for you to paint your next masterpiece. Set your soul aflame for what God can do, through you. No boundaries or impossibilities hinder you. The art gallery, which is our life, will testify to a life well-lived. It will be shown in multicolor brilliance.

May God bless you as you paint.

Have a great week, and remember, God loves you.