Filling an Empty Wall

empty* barren* blank* pure* desolate* void* the wall hasn't been touched* no holes* no color* no scrapes or scratches* yet i am compelled to put something on it -- what? start with color -- dark? light? eccentric? conservative? earth tones?* maybe a picture --religious? modern? historical? global? does what we put on the wall reflect who we are? our values? our morals? how about what we stand for?

i asked a close friend of mine to help me cover my wall* i liked the color she painted the wall, but not so much the picture that she placed on it* actually the picture was quite offensive...but i kept it to myself just thinking i don't want offend her by speak out or taking it down --the picture stayed up for quite some time and visitors who came by *i think* also found it offensive, like me they didn't say anything...just turned and walked away shaking their head*

before long noone really wanted to come and visit the house where the offensive picture on a once blank wall hung* not many people really thought very highly of me or even wanted to go places with me* there wasn't anything wrong with me...but something just wasn't right about the picture i allowed to hang on my wall* even though it might hurt my friend who placed it there, i decided finally to take it down...

**our lives don't just begin with bad things defining who we are...we make the choice to allow things to be put in our lives that corrupt our being and reputation* we can be the greatest person in every other aspect, but we will aways be judged by that one thing that just isn't right* it's not until long after we make a decision to take that thing out of our lives that we see our reputation and dignity restored to us once again.

*what paintings have you allowed to hang on your wall?*