Passing a Painted Baton

Earlier this week I was in a coffee shop with a friend, and I was telling him about an art project I am working on where I have to create something on a 12” x 12” canvas. I’d been thinking about doing it on my iPad in my favorite app, Paper 53, and then making a digital print for the canvas. 

He said, “You ought to just paint it.” I told him that if I could actually paint I probably would! :)

He replied, “I can teach you to paint watercolors in 10 minutes.”

I said, “If you can teach me in 10 minutes, I’m in.”

Within about thirty seconds, he pulled out a small travel watercolor set with a blank “artist trading card,” got a cup of water from the coffee shop staff, and in about 10 minutes—no kidding— taught me enough to at least consider doing my project as a watercolor. Amazing. Keep in mind that he had no idea that I would even mention painting that morning. We were meeting about something completely different. But... my friend is a baton passer.

Here’s what I learned from that: Always have the tools within reach that allow you to share your gifts with others. 

It only took 10-15 minutes because: (1) He has a gift and was willing to share it with me. (2) He had the tools within reach that made the lesson quick and easy to understand. (3) He kept it very simple.

It also occurs to me that there is an obvious spiritual application as well—one that I need to remember. I think of 1st Peter 3:15-16: “. . . If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” (New Living Translation). Gentleness and Respect. Would that we’d all learn to have a little more gentleness and respect when dialoging about such things—especially on FB. :) But that’s another blog for another day.

For now, here are some weekend questions for you. . . 

What is the gift that you can share with others? 

Do you know how to pass the baton or are you just running your own relay race? 

Are the tools you need within reach at all times? 

Can you make your gift accessible to others by explaining it clearly and quickly?

Have a great weekend. I might take tomorrow off. Today marks 60 consecutive days of blogging!