How God Designed His Own Coloring Book
I’ll let you in on a secret about me. There’s no creative brushstrokes in my DNA—none. Even my stick figures look pitiful.
You won’t find the blood of an artist running through my veins. I’m not artistic by any stretch of the imagination.
But the art of coloring gives un-artsy people a way to add individual flare to a beautifully drawn picture.
Coloring Connoisseurs
My daughter, Megan, and I are fond of coloring. A fondness starting when we were both little girls. We colored together through her childhood, teen, and college days, and still do today.
Who says coloring is only for kids? This article makes me want to color right now.
Still, Megan and I consider ourselves coloring connoisseurs. We colored for recreation and mental therapy long before the rest of the world caught on to coloring books for all ages.
Proudly signing our name to completed pictures is a tradition. “By Mom” remained my standard signature until Megan married. Now I sign my actual name.
To later admire our handiwork as we flip through books during a new coloring session, we date each finished masterpiece with month/day/year. They bear who and when information.
God’s Coloring Book
There’s another coloring book story. God’s glorious artwork is seen in creation. Blue sky, aqua blue oceans, sunsets 
of pink and orange, green grass, and all the primary colors displayed in a rainbow.
God colored me and you. He chose the color for our skin and hair. And He picked the crayon for our eyes. Genetics and science behind eye color is fascinating. What actually takes place to end up with brown eyes, and particularly blue or green eyes, is detailed and intricate.
It’s where science and creation end up on the same coloring page. Science provides a formal explanation to God’s creation process. Science points to creation, but the Lord picked the crayons.
The Master Artist
You see, God’s the true coloring connoisseur. It must make the Lord’s heart ache when we complain about a particular crayon He chose for us—His artist design. If you’re comfortable in your unique design, really comfortable, bravo!
For many of us, at some point and time, we struggled to celebrate the crayon the Lord chose for us. There will always be someone, who we surmise, is a better likeness by the original artist. People, who in our opinion, sport the perfect shade of blue eyes or green eyes or brown hair or olive skin.
God’s blood not only runs through our veins as His spiritual children, but His artistic flare colored us exactly like He fancied. No scribble. Perhaps coloring outside the lines for some of us, nonetheless a finished picture He desired to capture. Exactly. And perfectly to His liking.
Freckles, dark skin, light skin, dark eyes, or light eyes. Maybe we would have picked a different crayon, although we are not the Creator. And we’re not a cheap replica, but authentic artistry.
God's not an amateur craftsman but the Master Artist Who designed me and you. #ThursdayThoughts Share on X
Coloring By God
The heavenly Father sketched each of us with His creative brushstrokes—an original work of the famous artist, God. And He never signs a piece of His work: “By God. However, I’m not an artist in any stretch of the imagination.”
So we’re a coloring book story. God chose the crayons. We bear who and when information—month/day/year, our birthdate with the artist’s name, “By God.”
The Lord never removes us from His coloring book. But He proudly nestles us inside the pages as a testimony of His grand handiwork.
Maybe you feel scribbled on and messed up by life, your original and individual flare hidden. Friend, God concerns Himself with original pieces of art that bear an authentic signature—His. He wipes the slate clean and preserves you as a canvas to display His glory.
“For we are God’s masterpiece” Ephesians 2:10 NLT.
God chose the crayon. Today, celebrate you and your unique design!
© 2017 by Karen Friday, All Rights Reserved
*This article’s revised from one of my first posts that appeared on my blog in 2014. A slightly different version was published by Christian Devotions. Visit their site for wonderful daily devotions by various writers.
*Images or image design courtesy of Adobe Spark. Sunrise photo taken at the beach by my husband.
Post part of this link-up: Meg Gemelli/GRITupAndGo
Great post as usual Karen! I love the idea of God’s coloring book. My “stick men” are about the extent of my artistic ability. But coloring is therapeutic. And fun activity w/ grandkids. God bless!!
Rob, thank you for the encouragement, taking time to comment. You’re a blessing to me. God chose the crayon. Today, celebrate you and your unique design!
I sit with my mouth open and tears in my eyes as I read this wonderful post. Of course coloring is one of my favorite past-times…It is therapeutic…and rewarding…even if I color outside the lines sometimes…lol
Like an arrow hitting the bulls eye, this hit right where I lived for a great part of my life. But the Master, took all the black and white and gray colors and turned them into a rainbow of color and love and glow for His glory…Thank you Karen for your beautiful gift of words…they make the pictures given by God, a masterpiece for his glory!!! Amen!
Awe, thanks sweet friend. And yes, I relate to the struggle…to the complaining about my design. You’re beautiful inside and out. You bear who and when information—month/day/year, MarLa’s birthdate with the artist’s name, “By God.” 🙂
This is beautiful Karen! It seems coloring has become the new therapy, and I enjoy it also. I think we all identify at some time or another to struggling with the crayon God chose for us. The scriptural truth that He is the Author and Perfector of our faith has recently become a comfort to me as I walk through the challenges of this life.
Thank you, Crystal. Yes, the struggle with our unique design is real. And often a tactic from the enemy as we compare ourselves to others in physical attributes and talents. We find comfort in the fact that God doesn’t compare any of His children with the others (Andy Stanley). We aren’t cookie-cutter people. How boring creation would be if that were the case. Lord, help us celebrate our uniqueness from You…Your masterpiece by design. Amen.
Love this! I love the connection you made between coloring and how God created us. I was just trying to explain to my 5-year-old twins what it means to be identical twins. I told them that God thought they were so great he didn’t want just one of them, but two. And even though they look just alike, God created them both beautifully different. God created us all uniquely different.
Thank you, Ayanna. I’m a twin and my mom’s a twin too. Which is very unusual. And yes, even twins are unique and authentically designed by the Creator. The heavenly Father sketched each of us with His creative brushstrokes—an original work of the famous artist, God. Blessings and thanks for stopping by.
What a beautiful post. I loved the imagery about it. It will make me take a second look next time we are driving around just to look at all God created!!
Rachael, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Yes, God’s glorious artwork is seen in all of creation, His coloring book story. May we not complain about the crayons He chose for us, but celebrate how He created us exactly like He wanted.
Oh this is so good! And humbling… to think that we grumble about the way the Master Artist has fashioned us. Thanks for the reminder that WE are His masterpieces. And congratulations on being the cool colouring lady before it was even cool!! 😉 Stopping by from #RaRaLinkup
Thanks, Laura. 🙂 Yes, it’s convicting when we complain. I pray we both celebrate who God created us to be…uniquely and exactly like He fancied. Blessings!
Even though I have artistic talent, I always defer to God as the Master Artist. It’s good to hear a similar perspective from a non-artist like you, although I think you are an artist with words!
Awe, thank you, Sarah. So appreciate your encouragement. Grateful we can celebrate each other’s unique design while we rest in how God intimately crafted us in our mother’s womb. The Lord never removes us from His coloring book. But He proudly nestles us inside the pages as a testimony of His grand handiwork. 🙂
“Science points to creation, but the Lord picked the crayons.” This is my very favorite line of the whole thing. I get so frustrated in the arguments between faith and science. One simply points to the other in the most gorgeous of ways. I tried to take a picture of a sunset the other night…as usual, the pic never turns out as great as God’s coloring book in real time. Color away, my friend. I can’t draw either, ha!
Thanks, Meg! So you’re un-artsy too. 🙂 And you’re right, the ongoing debate between science and creation is frustrating. If it wasn’t for God’s magnificent creation and coloring and artistic design, we wouldn’t even have a need for science. I’m so thankful for your unique design by the Master craftsman, you bless me.