Bruce Szwast July 2nd, 2011

Was that flat, semi gloss, or high gloss? And of course which color or which color combinations.

When we first moved into our house, it was yellow trim and sloppy white all over. The wife said, "Well"? And well, I tried to select paint that would make her happy. She said "how about Floridian colors"? So I went out and got what I thought was Floridian, applied some artistic intentions, and it turned out to be peaches and cream that looked like a doll house. The wife said "Well, that's nice, kind of (her)".

A few years later she said "how about some blue". Well I went out and got three shades of blue and my artistic touch was not only how to combine the three shades but I added what I thought was a brilliant touch, a checkerboard pattern on one brick wall. The wife said "Well, that's nice, kind of (her)". But the checkerboard quickly went the 'way of spats' or maybe how to avoid them and not get crowned.

I had to paint the wood trim this past year and the wife said "how about white". Now for the other colors yet to be determined: I thought about being environmentally correct and somehow combine green and brown to give our house a forestry look. Please don't tell my wife, I want her to be surprised.

Now of course I have to buy a semi gloss paint. Everything in my life is and has been medium. In fact my whole life I have struggled with mediocrity. Whenever I enjoyed some success to raise my hopes, I soon get dashed by some mistake. Of course after the mistake, I get some kind of success.

I think God wants me to be medium in a world of disasters while looking forward to a new world of constant successes that Christ obtained just for me. Now that is nice, and the wife agrees. That's one.

And of course, I have to buy one medium sized brush. I hate rollers and just getting it done. While I am painting I like to see the development and enjoy the moment. I also like to think about things like God's creation and how He did it. Sometimes I wonder given my artistic ambitions and complexity and my mediocrity if I could paint this house in 6 days. No way, too much trim.

Sometimes when painting I think about the churches I have visited. Some were flat and did not have much color. Others were high gloss and frankly I was blinded by a seemingly endless flurry of activity.

I also have been in some churches that were really semi-gloss. There were problems which are to be expected, and there is the stiff upper lip, and the reality that things do happen, either real or imagined, and let us face it, we are at best mediocre in light of God's intended goals.

I am contemplating red, white, and blue paint for the holiday (by the way: happy 4th) but given America's crisis right now, I may get fined for violating some zoning ordinance, like no house flags.

Speaking of choice and change, we have all experienced what unbridled change can bring and maybe we should first consider Paul's words of instruction from Philippians 4 before proceeding:

4. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. 9. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.