Pouring And Star
I wanted to paint something really awesome. Something I wouldn't feel foolish painting in front of the church. So I knew I needed God every moment of the way. I put on worship music and kneeled down in my painting corner and my prayer started, "Lord, give me a painting to paint." By the end of that prayer I was asking God for what He wanted and to equip me with the ability to paint it. At the end of the prayer I heard the song Stars by Skillet playing in the background. And in that moment I knew what to paint. I approached the easel differently. I had a sense of what to do, but not the full knowledge of it, only enough to start.
God downloaded the knowledge of each step of the painting process as they were needed and not a second before. I had total peace while painting that I had not experienced before. I was always insecure about my art, but this time I didn't have any anxiety.
The painting started with black. Then came the rest of the colors until I got to the star (this reminded me of Genesis 1:1-3). I didn't know how to even start to paint it. I didn't know where the light source would come from for the star, but then I did and I painted it.
After the painting was finished I stood back amazed that I had painted this.
I went to bed that night feeling confident that I could paint it again during worship night. As soon as my eyelids closed I saw it! A vision of a copper or clay pitcher with water pouring out of it. The pitcher in my vision was so bright and vivid that I didn't see or notice the back ground. I didn't see puffy clouds or blue skies all I saw was the pitcher and the water. I jumped out of bed and said "Oh, God how do I paint that?" And He reminded me of the star I painted that day with Him as its light source and the gradual build of the color and I felt Him saying, "I already show you how." I felt the choice was mine. I could paint the painting of the star during worship again or I could paint the pitcher the day of and trust that He'll help me like He did with the star. I was painting for Him. I did a test run the next day and as I started to test out the oil pastels on watercolor paper which I had never attempted to do before. I started to sing a few words and I sang them over and over until I was finished painting.
On worship night I started with the background of clouds and sky. I was frustrated and I wanted to pull my hair out, clouds weren't easy for me to paint. A lady came up behind us as we painted and she was praying for us individually. After she prayed for me I felt the frustration leave. And I was able to paint the clouds.
When it came time to paint the water, Zac the worship leader announced that they were going to sing a song they had written for the first time and he went on to say that they had been praying, "Lord give us a song." but it wasn't given until after their prayer changed to, "Lord, give the church a song." As they sang the chorus I found myself singing along while I painted the water and it felt familiar. I then realized I shouldn't know the song enough to sing along, I hadn't sang it before. During my 4 hour car ride to Florida the next morning I realized those were the same words I was singing while I practiced the painting of the pitcher at home. That told me this painting is for the church and it goes with that song. It's God saying, "when you ask you will received and when you seek you shall find and when you knock the door will be open." Matthew 7.7 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13.
TS