Tag: Corona Virus

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Spring Comes to Red Gate Road!

Spring Comes!
16×20 oil
$290

Spring comes each year. It might be a “good spring” or a “dry spring” or a “windy spring.” But it comes around each year. Spring of 2020 will go down as the strangest spring many of us have ever had! Some of us may even ask, “Was it spring?” as the Coronavirus passes by.

When we moved to Red Gate Road, I thought it seemed so far from Waco – about a 30 minute drive whenever I wanted to go in for shopping, or restaurants, or art shows, or church, or meetings. But with Coronavirus days and Shelter in Place orders, I have realized being in the country has distinct advantages. And for this, I am grateful.

As I painted this one, I thought about the solitude and shelter of the road on which we live. I thought about the curve at the end, where one must slow and look for oncoming traffic. I thought about the light breaking through clouds on days when I need the sun. And I thought about the beauty of the flowers and the birds of the air. And it made me think of Matthew 6 in the Bible. (gonna cut and paste it below because, let’s be real – neither you nor I have it all memorized.)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV)

Hmmm. Thanks be to God. I needed that reminder. Did you?

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This Too, Shall Pass

This Too, Shall Pass
11×14 oil

It had been raining for about a week – a week of “social distancing.” As an artist, I’m very comfortable with being alone in the zone. But it was the lack of sunshine that was about to pull me under.

The fog was thick from the moment I opened the window blinds that morning, yet beautiful, in a peaceful kind of way. The fog hovered until mid afternoon. The weather forecast for the next week said plenty of sun and heat! I couldn’t wait. I knew that “this too, shall pass.” And I felt, hope.

I had heard the words before. “This too, shall pass” are reassuring words. Mammy had said them to me last week as we talked on the phone about the crazy state of things.

We are looking for reassuring words in these very different days. Corona Virus, Social Distancing, Shelter in Place, Essential/Non-Essential …have all been added to our vocabularies. But the reassuring words, the familiar, encouraging words, are the ones we all want to hear.

We know that this too, shall pass. We want it to happen quickly, suddenly, instantly, over and done. But most things don’t happen that way. The challenge for us is to hang on to the ancient words, the words of promise, while we wait for it to pass. Words like trust, faith, abide, prayer, encourage, redemption, eternal. These are the words we cling to and share, as we wait…with hope.