Potential is useless without action.
While subbing for a few days in an art class last week, I came into contact with a bunch of art supplies, from paint brushes, to glue, to scissors, to clay, to colored pencils and crayons. In my opinion, crayons are one of the coolest inventions ever.
They are cheap. They are readily available and simple to use. The novice can proudly create pictures by using them to scribble and the most talented of artists can create masterpieces.
The interesting thing about crayons is that they come perfectly sharpened and ready to go. I remember as a kid, opening that brand new box to use on a school assignment. I don’t know about you, but that first stroke with an unused crayon, could make me giddy with excitement.
I never got the same feeling about using crayons, once the perfect little tip was gone. A pile of used crayons in a box, for some reason, is kind of ho-hum. We still have the same colors. We still have the same potential to create. What’s the difference?
Perhaps the perfect unused crayon represents potential. If that crayon has never been used to color anything, it’s up to us to make it count. We have in our hand, the possibility of creating something new and beautiful.
But, as long as that crayon is perfectly shaped and pristine, it hasn’t been used to create anything. Potential is great. There’s are a ton of people and ideas with potential. The thing about potential, is it can live and die inside of our heads and hearts. Potential is useless if we don’t act on it somehow.
Potential requires action to become something great.
As I looked around the art tables, I found crayons which had been dulled from use, broken ones, ones that had the paper pulled down or off, and ones that were really short from use.
It’s only when crayons are used, that they have added color to the world.
When I thought about it, those were the crayons that had made a difference for some young artist. They had actually been used to spread color to a blank space and the color helped to make it something new and unique, something creative and beautiful.
We all start out like those perfectly pristine crayons. We are all full of potential of some kind. Some of us choose to stay in the box, safe from any wear and tear, safe from getting damaged or broken.
But, it’s only in using what we have been given, to add color and beauty to the world around us that we are able to reach our potential. That requires risk of getting used and broken, yet it’s what Jesus calls us to do.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we need to get out of our box.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂