There was once an artist. He was a gentle, gruff looking old gentleman. One day as he was painting a landscape a little girl came by. She was an inquisitive little thing, but underneath seemed a little sad.

She approached the old man and asked what he was doing. He showed her his painting. She was very excited to see it and asked longingly if he ever painted people into his pictures. As he looked into her eyes he could see how badly she wanted to be included in his painting. He told her yes that he did paint people into his pictures and in fact he would like to paint her into this one.

She was very excited and day after day would meet the artist and ask to look at the painting. She could see the sky, the hills, the lake and the trees but she was never in the picture. Every day she was more disappointed. There was this beautiful creation but she was not part of it the way the artist promised.

One day she arrived and the artist was not there. The painting was perched on its easel. She went up to it in excited anticipation. Maybe today she would be in the picture. But her heart plunged into despairing disappointment. She was still not included. Disappointment became impatience and impatience became anger. Taking the painter's rag that was lying nearby she began angrily rubbing the picture trying to erase it. The moist paint smeared everywhere, blurring and marring the beautiful scene that had already been painted.

She was still standing there with the rag in her hand when the artist returned. His eyebrows shot up and he looked at the little girl, not with the anger she expected, but with sadness. He seemed to know why she had done such a thing. He told her that she mustn't be so impatient. When the painting was at the right stage and the entire scene had been painted in, she would be added. Her tears told the artist how sorry she was. He gave her a quick hug and sat down at the easel and began repairing the damage she had caused.

The next day she went back and the painting was restored but she still wasn't in the picture. Once again the artist wasn't there. As she gazed at the painting she thought she saw the spot that he was saving to paint her into the scene. Perhaps, she thought, he just needs a little help. So she decided to paint herself into the picture. She picked up the brush and started to paint. But try as she might, it not only made the painting looked terrible, she looked awful. She just didn't have the artist's touch to paint the image her heart wanted to see.

Soon the old artist came back. He took one look at his painting and one look at her and sadly shook his head from side to side. He sat down and began to patiently remove the painting she had done and repair the damage she had done to the scenery. She hung her head, tears dripped down her cheeks as she slowly made her way home. She so badly wanted to be a part of the artist's painting. He had promised her she would be but it was taking so long. Everything she had done to try to hurry along the process had just made it take longer.

Each day the little girl would return and look at the painting. Slowly she began to spend more time looking at it and less time longing to be in it. She began to see the beauty the artist was portraying. The beauty of the sky, the shining of the water, and the depth and color of the trees was portrayed so skillfully that it was calming and peaceful to stand and admire the beautiful creation brought about by the artist's hand. After awhile, she would forget all about being included in the painting and just enjoyed watching it unfold in the artist's hand.

Finally, one warm sunny day she arrived at the artist's spot and the painting was on the easel. The artist did not appear to be around anywhere. She walked over to it. It was finished. It was beautiful. So beautiful that it seemed to take her breath away. It was complete. It was spectacular! Quietly, the artist came up behind while she was admiring his work. He placed his hand on her shoulders and asked how she liked it. She told him how wonderful and beautiful she thought his painting was.

He smiled at her and said he was glad she liked it but it wasn't finished yet. She looked at him confused. What could he mean? It was beautiful! It was finished! Ah, but he told her the most beautiful part hasn't been painted yet. The little girl's eyebrows drew together as she tried to think of what was missing. Finally the artist gave a gentle laugh and reminded her that she was to be in the painting.

The little girl was amazed. She had been so captivated by the beauty of the master artist's work that she had forgotten that she was to be included in the painting. She remembered her impatience and her anger when she had destroyed the painting and her arrogance when she tried to complete it on her own. She felt ashamed of herself. How much her heart had changed! As she had spent time gazing at the skill of the artist and enjoying the beauty he was creating she had forgotten about herself.

The artist asked her to sit on a tree stump. He took his place at the easel and began to paint. Every day she went and sat on that stump and the artist painted. After awhile the little girl began to get bored and fidgety. She couldn't see the painting. She could only sit and look at the forest. It was taking forever! She hadn't looked at that painting in so long she almost forgot what it looked like. She began to feel sorry for herself. She began to believe the artist would never be finished.

One day she almost did not even go and sit for the artist. She was tired of just sitting there and not seeing any results of her time, for the artist would not let her look at the painting until he was finished.

One day she decided to go early and sneak a peek at the picture. When she arrived the painting was on the easel and the old artist was not there yet. She was amazed at what she saw! She was indignant. It wasn't her at all in the painting. It wasn't anyone yet. It was just a strange looking form. Tears of frustration and anger spurted from her eyes. Her heart was in turmoil.

When the artist arrived she wasn't there. In her disappointment and anger she had ran home. She felt betrayed and believed the artist was making a fool of her.

The next day she planned to stay home but something kept drawing her to return to the site where the artist was painting. She arrived later than usual and the artist was patiently waiting for her. He knew that she had disobeyed and looked at the painting. How he knew was a mystery to the little girl but she knew he knew. He just gazed at her with patient eyes and she thought she saw a twinkle of laughter in there. Disgruntled, she assumed her place on the tree stump and the artist began to paint.

Day after day she sat there. Finally she began to find her time sitting on the stump kind of restful and she began to notice things in the forest while she sat there. She saw squirrels scampering up and down the trees with bits of food. She saw birds picking up pieces of twigs to build their nests. Once she even saw a mother fox and her pup scurrying along the forest floor. Time didn't hang so heavily anymore. She was actually enjoying herself.

Finally one day the artist said that it was done! The little girl walked over to see the finished product. She was amazed! There she was, in the painting. It showed her sitting on the stump looking out into the forest with a little smile on her face, and her eyes were shining as she gazed at something in the distance.

What she saw amazed her. She was not the central part of the painting. She was just a part of it, nestled in the corner making the creation complete. The whole picture was beautiful. As she gazed at it she realized that if any part of the scenery had not been included in the painting it would have lacked wholeness.

She asked the artist why it had taken so long for her to be painted. He explained he had to wait until she was content with where she was before he could paint the real her. Once she accepted her place and began to appreciate the beauty around her, her inner grace came to the surface and he was able to paint her as she was intended to be.

You see, the artist told her, "Before I could paint you into the picture I had to paint in the surroundings for you to be in. I had to paint the sky, the lake, the trees and even the little animals. I had to get it just right for you to be part of it."

The little girl remembered the time she had taken the rag and wiped out the picture. She realized that her impatience had just made it take longer because the artist had to repaint what he had already done.

Then she blushed as she remembered how she had tried to paint in herself and what an ugly bad job she had done of it. The figure she had painted had looked ridiculous and ugly beside the fine talented work the artist had already done on the painting. She hadn't even painted herself in the right spot in the scene. It had taken a very long time for the artist to patiently remove what she had done and repaint over what she had damaged.

Then she remembered how many days she had sat impatiently on the stump; just wanting her picture to be done so she could look at herself. She had been so busy wanting to look at herself that she had forgotten to look around at the beauty and life all around her in the forest.

If she had given the artist his way and been more patient, the painting would have been finished long before it was. She told the artist how sorry she was that she had caused him so much extra work and thanked him for his patience with her.

He gathered her close in his arms. He told her that she was forgiven. He told her he loved her.

But best of all he told her the finished product was worth it all.

Copyright - Alicea Fournier 2009