You are the words, I am the illustration.

I rolled over in bed and grabbed my phone to see the time. 
7:05.
My alarm wasn’t going to go off until 7:30. 
The debate between whether or not I should go back to sleep or just get up now took place as usual. 
While fighting flesh with reason, I look at the book on my nightstand. No, I didn’t look at my Bible.
I looked at my old copy of The Jungle Book. 
Printed in 1963. 
As old as my parents. 
I remember picking it up because of the sick cover on it. As I looked at it more I wondered, first, who wrote The Jungle Book, then who was the illustrator. 
Rudyard Kipling. 
Famous author. 
The illustrator? Earl Mayan. 
Though some might recognize the illustrators name, more fame and glory goes to the author of the story. The writer is not bound by time as an illustrator is. Their words can be published years and centuries removed from their life. The illustrator can only produced while he lives, though his memory of work might live on. Words are translatable too. While the story might be bound by society and culture, words have no boundary. They permeate to every language. As I’m thinking about this it occurred to me that the words in this book emulate an even greater Word. The Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ permeates through to every language, and further more, the story of man’s Salvation has no cultural or societal boundaries. That leaves me as what? The illustrator? I don’t think an analogy could be more appropriate to describe the Christians placement. Bound by time, mortal. 
Unique.
But a good illustrator holds true to the original intent of the story.
They add none of their own input.
They take nothing from it. 
So should the Christian, in the beauty of their life following Christ, emulate Christ. 
Adding nothing to His truth, nor taking away any of it. 
The work of a individual Christian is limited by their time on earth, though their memory can shine as gorgeous portraits of God’s glory for the generations to come. 
Everyone is an illustrator, its just a matter of what story you are illustrating for.