treasure... or is it just a box of trash? As I pondered the history of this
discovery... a box of prints from the past... I thought I'd share this story...
Did you know I starting selling my art through home parties?
My heart's desire was to provide an affordable way for women to put
God's Word on the walls of their homes and so... yes...
I would bring my box of framed prints and plaques to your home,
sit on the floor... and one by one... hold them up and share a word of
encouragement through the verses and the spiritual symbolism that I
had woven into each painting. This is one of them...
And on the back of almost every painting... I would attach a short "story"
of what I shared as a reminder but also so that if you gave the painting as
a gift, the story would always go with it. Those stories were the beginning
of my becoming an "author" and opened the door to my very first books.
So imagine if you would... us sitting together with a group of your friends
as I held up the above painting... and shared this story...
And I want you to imagine yourself sitting at this desk
and gazing out the window... notice that the path ahead of you
is neither straight nor level... in fact, the path itself is
not smooth but appears to be a little rough and and rocky here and there...
does that remind you of anything?
How about the path of your life? But God has promised, according to the
truth of His Word, that He will direct our footsteps and, whether we are in the
valley or on the mountaintop, He will never leave us or forsake us.
Now direct your eyes to those things that sit upon the desk top. In the center
is the Bible... God's written Word of Life.
And then there's the oil lamp, a symbol of the "lamp unto my feet"...
and the cup... which represents not only the refreshing
that is yours in the Word, but also the rest that is available to you
as you hold onto and trust God's promises for yourself.
Notice the small bottle of oil with the dove on top...
it depicts the anointing of the Holy Spirit...
and the apple hanging from the tree outside is a picture of the fruit of the
Spirit that is developed along the path of life as you grow
in the truth and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
The wrapped gift illustrates the fact that Jesus gave up His glory and
humbled Himself as a man to give you the greatest gift of all...
eternal life. It also serves as a reminder that every good and perfect gift
comes to us from above.
The flowers represent the joy that only the Son of God can truly bring...
and the books remind us that we are to study to show ourselves
approved in the handling of God's Word.
Just as the whole of this painting is surrounded with the written word...
and a border of hearts...
may the whole of your life be encompassed with the truth and guidance of
the Word of God and the love and life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Oh those were the days my friend...
and though the seasons of our lives change...
and the days of home parties are gone..
the Word of the Lord never changes and the symbolism of this painting
is as true today as it was then.
So the decision was made... I can't trash them...
at least not quite yet.
I've added several to my Etsy shop if you want to go take a look.
There's only a few of each one but I'd rather see them go to a good home
than to the burn pile so I've priced them to be very affordable.
And I'll be adding some more in the days to come.
And thanks for letting me come into your home today and hold up
this painting and share a word of encouragement with you...
I hope you were blessed!
xoxoxo
Karla
