Several years ago, a visit with my friend, Dr. James Bryan, inspired this poem. He is a renowned historian, a philosopher, and one prone to making profound statements. The visit swung around to recollecting acquaintances from our past that had colorfully painted our lives. We agreed that we both had experienced a variety of characters that were instrumental in influencing not only direction, but choices and general philosophies. And like an old barn, after a bit, a new coat of paint is needed to freshen our outlook on life. Truth is, when you begin to reflect on and recollect just who those painters were, you find that the numbers are staggering. That’s about the time you realize the truth behind a famous quote, “It takes a village to raise a child!” I knew immediately that I had more material than I had space to write about. I also knew that any one painter was just as important as the next one. Of course, parents and grandparents will usually top the list. But even setting them aside leaves an unmanageable number of painters. My Ol’ Daddy always said, “Trust that the Lord will always guide you, Puttin’ folks along life’s way, Many to teach an’ help you stay true, Beware, some will lead you astray!” I realized the truth in what he said as I let my thoughts wander along my back trail. I had a lot of good “painters” and some of them had to come back and put on another coat to cover blotches I had made. Truthfully there were probably too many painters that were drippers, dobbers, spillers, and a few that thinned the paint too much. I know this because there were many times I had to turn around and find someone willing to scrape off the bad job and put on another coat. I have experienced a lot of “painters” in the years that the Lord has blessed me with and I am proud to say that most of them would be willing to put on a second coat if I asked them to. In fact, there are some that came to me and told me that it was already time for a second coat even if I was comfortable with the current situation. That’s when you need to slow down, take a deep breath and re-evaluate your situation because sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees! I am thankful that God is a painter that is willing to continually have His paint brush ready. In closing, let me stress that it is always a good plan to tell those painters thank you. And do it now because you never know when that opportunity will no longer be available!
