Day 29 of Lent - New and Hard Things
The new, more difficult challenges never stop, for me.
I remember when I took the commission to paint a waterfall…
…when I had never painted a waterfall, ever.
(prints available in my shop)
In fact, I’ve never been to art school.
Yet, when I emailed the potential collector to tell her all these things, she gently insisted that she thought I could do it. And of course, as you can see, I did it.
I remember how, over a year ago, I sold my first large abstract. It was also my first single piece that sold for a thousand or more dollars. That felt utterly impossible, two years ago. Then one year ago, it happened.
And today, it not only feels doable for me, it has happened over and again, with more to come.
In fact, if I turn my face slightly left, a blank 48x48” canvas sits there.
A new and difficult challenge.
thank you, waterfall painting person….thank you, person who bought that first big abstract (you know who you are)…thank you, strangers who somehow feel like friends - those who have purchased my large paintings in the last year…where would I be without your quiet, gentle confidence in me?
Day 28 of Lent - The God Who Is Aware
The ultimate reality is that we are wrapped up in love like a blanket by a God who sees and knows. In fact, one of the first things He revealed about Himself towards a collective people was, “I am aware…”
The Creator of this universe has taken upon Himself to be aware of your suffering - whether that groaning and oppression is inflicted upon you by another, or whether you are your own worst enemy, He is aware. And anything that the Living God is aware of, He is prepared to act upon.
This is because our God is “us and we”. Elohim. He operates out of His innate community. He is others-aware by nature. He is one God, in the form of the community of Father, Son, and Spirit. He is not a solitary remote Being who we must appease. Rather, He comes to us in the form of Jesus, who broke bread with sinners and was so in tune with our suffering that He wept at the graveside of His friend, all the while knowing what He was about to do: raise him from the dead!
This moment, that same risen Christ is speaking to the Father about you. The Bible says that He “ever lives” to consult and confer with God for you. Is it any wonder that the Psalmist could exclaim:
“ How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum! If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.…”
We serve a God who dwells outside of time, and He does His work between the tick and the tock of clock time. Whether it is daytime or nighttime, whether we are asleep or awake makes no difference to Him. Because of Jesus, our needs are ever before the Godhead - even the hairs on our head are numbered.
We simply cannot fathom that level of intimate awareness and complete acceptance.
May He visit you in the night watches. May He reveal Himself to you in your hour of affliction. May He come to you in the sunrise, and as the sun. The sun rises, unbidden, without your command or consent it brings light. His mercies are sure, and the same - brand new, every morning, fresh from a faithful friend.