Masterpiece

I was assigned to teach again in relief society this past Sunday and, just like the first time that I taught, I got nervous and felt completely inadequate. I put off preparing my lesson for a while because I quite frankly doubted that I could come up with anything that the girls in my class truly needed to hear. So when I first attempted to prepare, I simply read through the lesson and marked things that stood out to me. But when I finished I found that I didn’t feel very inspired or organized, so later that night I decided to go through the lesson once again – and this time I decided to rely on more than my own abilities. I cleared my mind for a moment, and then I started with a prayer in which I asked that my mind would be opened to the things that needed to be said. I prayed for guidance and comfort and the ability to teach by the spirit in order to touch the hearts of those in my class. Then I turned to the lesson again, and as I read through this second time, I had so many thoughts come to my mind that I felt like I didn’t have time to write them all. I quickly made notes in margins and on extra pieces of paper and told myself that as long as I got everything written, I could make sense of it later. When I finished, I was so inspired and enlightened, and I could feel the deep importance – yet simplicity – of the message that I was going to share. I didn’t end with the knowledge of any intricate plan that would lead any person on a sure path to true divinity, but I did end with the knowledge and reassurance of a sacred, precious truth.

The truth is, we all have divinity within us already. We spend so much time seeking for it and striving to attain it that we fail to see the divinity we already possess. We focus so heavily on the distorted, impossible standards of the world and we lose sight of who we really are. We are glorious sons and daughters of God. We were created very purposefully to live, learn, and grow, and to reach for the grand potential that we are intended for.

Now bear with me for just a little bit while I jump into just a few basics of art history…

The Byzantine art period is filled with beauty, and one form of art that has left a powerful mark is their mosaic. During this time they created these intricate mosaics using little glass pieces called tesserae. While they used many colors, the most significant of the pieces were gold and they were made by placing thin pieces of gold between two clear tesserae. Using this technique, they were able to literally cover the inner walls of their churches in gold – like the San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy.

Each of those little tesserae are the simple deeds we do and choices we make each day. On their own they may seem small and insignificant, but there is gold within them. There is greatness within the little moments of our lives. The greatness is something we can’t touch, see, or hold directly, but it exists through those simple and loving acts. Therein lies the beauty and value. And when you combine all of those tiny golden pieces, each and every one plays a role in creating the masterpiece of who you are. Unfortunately, we often rob ourselves of the chance to take in the complete beauty and wonder of who we really are because we don’t believe that we have anything more to offer than the few squares of glass that we can see directly in front of us. 

But if we will take a few steps back, we’ll quickly discover that those few squares form just a tiny portion of all that we really are. So turn to God and ask him to help you believe in and see yourself as he sees you. Because while God is aware of each individual square that has built us, he never loses sight of the full masterpiece.