I’d like to clean up the messiness and brighten the darkness of this watercolor, to take the tree out of the shadows. I debated deleting it from 100+ Trees, but decided to keep it because of its timeliness. Last week’s news focused on messes and shadows—more uncertainties over covid-19, more pain over injustice, more fears of violence and destruction, and new conflicts over whose telling the truth and who isn’t. Denying the darkness shadowing our planet is as unrealistic as denying sin in the heart of every man.
Back when I painted this tree, I was thinking about the sunlight on the other side of the tree. I like the softer blues of the horizon and the golds, just a bit deeper and warmer than a Naples Yellow. I didn’t think about how dark and heavy the tree looked or how it might reflect darker realities. At that time, my life was heavily shadowed by a friend’s failing health and our temptations to negative thinking. We both were intent on keeping our eyes on positive outcomes. Again and again he’d say, “Don’t worry, Ginny. Whatever happens, it’s going to be all right.” While our eyes were focused on the warmth of a setting sun, I painted this dark in the foreground. Later, I began to wonder what it meant. Did I paint one tree or two? Was the dark a subconscious symbol of “the valley of the shadow of death” facing us? Was the light on the other side Heaven? Or did the shadows mark a very welcome evening of rest before a new dawn?
Like most introspection, trying to figure it all out to write about for this post, got me nowhere. I couldn’t. Figuring things out in this topsy-turvy, fast changing world of ours has been getting me nowhere a lot lately. The sunshine side is that dead-ends and uncertainties have pushed me to become more intentional about stilling my mind and asking “What are you doing Lord? What’s Your point of view? What do you want me to do now?”
To actually hear the Holy Spirit (who has promised to lead us into all truth) rather than to keep on wringing my mind in frustration and repeating my questions, I’m practicing a simple discipline I learned about years ago and have practiced intermittently for decades. It’s most likely familiar to you too. Some call it Practicing God’s Presence. It’s been taught by Bro. Lawrence, Frank Laubauch, Fenelon, Jeanne Guyon, A.W. Tozer and countless believers before me. Jesus put it in a nutshell when He said,
The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21
It’s simply turning our minds from outward circumstances and our own futile thinking to look inward, to where Jesus lives in our heart.
More often than not, I don’t hear a word, but a sweetness or a a supernatural rest comes to quiet my soul. I know that I don’t need to understand any more than He shows me. I’m assured that our Father in Heaven has a plan for for each one of us. I’m able to trust that His light will guide us through every shadow, every one.
Right now, it seems that my small part in His plan is to keep faith, give ungodly thoughts and fears to Him, and to guard His love in my heart—as well as to water the plants, wash the dishes, feed the dog and publish the next post or project on giwenwordnow.com Oh— and most important of all— to worship the Lord and pray whenever and however the Holy Spirit’s love might lead. Lord, help me, help all who read this post to be faithful. As Jesus said,
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NIV
It thrills me to remember that God’s kingdom is sure and He is over all. In the words King Darius wrote after Daniel was taken out of the lion’s den
I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion will never end.
He delivers and rescues;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:26-27
