Fundraising visualized

If you were to visually represent your fundraising, what would you draw?

A marathon runner?  A line chart?  A clock?  A sad face?  Maybe a treasure hunt?

As for me, my fundraising probably looks most like a drawing that one of my sons made for me recently:

If you look closely, you'll notice that there is some degree of organization and purpose.  Most of the colors have bounds.  Some are localized and some spread out more.  A couple colors and patterns are repeated.  Not too many areas are drawn overtop of others.  But beyond that, it's quite random.  Nothing really looks like anything we'd recognize in the world.  It's valuable because one of my sons did his best to draw something nice for me, but it's not worth much otherwise.

Yeah, that's what my fundraising usually looks like.  I try to stay organized.  I try to do each of the things I want to do using each of the "colors" God has given me.  I try to vivdly explain my vision in compelling, winsome ways for prospective donors such that they're left in awe and I'm left with monthly pledges.  But, if I'm honest, the pictures I paint probably look like the semi-random, mildly colorful doodlings of a child.  They're valuable because one of God's sons did his best to draw something nice for Him, but it's not worth much otherwise.

Yet... the support comes in anyway.  Why?  Because God doesn't use our immature scrawlings as the basis for our support; He uses the exquisite skills and palette of Jesus Christ.

For by [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through Him and for Him. -Colossians 1:16

[Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of His power.  -Hebrews 1:3

Though my life and work look chaotic, uncertain and occasionally childish, His life and work is flawless, deliberate and absolutely kingly.  Though I regularly struggle to say something effective, Jesus spoke words made up of power itself.  Though I spend hours and days wondering what in the world to do, Jesus perfectly created the world itself in hours and days.

God's Son did His best to draw something nice for Him - and whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise - that is the result.  A result that He credits to you and me.

So it's okay for us to admit that our best fundraising efforts are worth less than a child's scribbles - because Jesus takes that same canvas and powerfully transforms it, moment by moment, to look more like this: