Leonardo da Vinci spent hours in deep meditation and prayer as he worked on his famous painting of the Last Supper. It has been said that he spent hours just reading God’s Word or days on his knees with hands lifted skyward in between his moments of genius with paint and canvas. He spent so much time away from the project, at one point, the monks that lived in his community became concerned. They asked him, “Why do you spend so much time with us in prayer when you have come here to work?” His answer was simple:
“When I pause the longest, I make the most telling strokes with my brush.”
Today we’re are going to have a lot going on. Deadlines, appointments, sandwiches to pack in lunch boxes, and tests to take. If we’re not careful, busyness, fatigue, and worry will try to rob us of the joy that Jesus wants us to have. How can we counter the frantic pace? By following Jesus’ example (just as da Vinci did)... and take time out to pray. Purposefully get by ourselves for a few minutes and talk with our heavenly Father. These aren’t just moments of rest... but a time to reset. To remember our priorities... think through our decisions... bring our troubles to the feet of the One who gave us our own. And when we do, at the end of the day, we will look back and see the last twenty four hours of our life as the work of art that it was designed by the Lord to be.
