Dear Reader:
After ending the blog, Saturday evening, with this photo taken on the way home from the Back-to-School party at John and Mandy’s…it got me thinking about the skies and how too much light or too much darkness causes us distress, in our lives, over extended periods of time. (*Like my closed shutter day last week 🙂
On the flip side…too many  gray, cloudy, dark days have the same dismal effect…our energy starts draining…and we long to see the light again. What fascinated me about this sighting was the first peek of light arriving right before the night darkness fell…with even the promise of blue skies to come. The scene contained every visual element of weather we experience and enjoy… in moderation…a type of portal into the future.
(Photo: Derek Thomas/Flickr)
Haven’t we all heard that song birds are actually taught to sing in the dark? In other words…there is an underlying reason for it…the spiritual metaphor for this circumstance is found in Matthew 10:27.
Jesus said: “What I tell you in the darkness, share with others when your daybreak appears.”
When we go through the dark times and we all do…it is our faith being tested and like the songbirds…if we keep the faith we will emerge from these personally troubled times with valuable advice to share with others…a song to sing, in other words.
If we never had dark times, how would we know if our faith was strong…it had never been tested? *In the low country we are in the middle of hurricane season which keeps all of us ‘on our toes’ praying nothing hits each annual season…yet if we never had any storms with the power to damage or destroy our homes…we couldn’t really say that our house is strong and stable enough to overcome a storm?
So until tomorrow…“God puts us into ‘the shadow of His hand’ until we learn to hear Him” (Isaiah 49:2).” We go through hard, dark times so God can whisper to us amid the darkness the guidance and wisdom we all seek.
“Today is my favorite day” Â Winnie the Pooh
Take a good look at this painting by Anne…she started it several years ago but something just felt off at the time…it was left unfinished …until Sunday afternoon/ evening. Now she is struggling with a title for this personal artwork and would like some ideas from you readers.
Here’s a little background on this painting to perhaps help you with a title idea…
Anne took a picture of this bench found in Magnolia Gardens… the spring before her mother died in 2007- (she wished she had photographed her on the bench)…but nevertheless she finished it Sunday evening and started thinking of a title…she would like it to be authentic either in a southern expression or perhaps just authentic to any feeling it invokes in the viewer.
If something pops into your mind upon viewing this beautiful painting…Anne would greatly appreciate any thoughts or verbal images it invokes in you. Thanks ahead of time…for participating! Your ideas will be a big asset to Anne… in final closure to this memorable painting.
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Good Monday morning, Becky!
Love Anne’s painting! Looks like a peaceful place to sit and meditate. “Solitude” or “Peaceful Haven” comes to mind as potential titles. Every time you include one of her paintings, I really enjoy looking at them. Amazing how artists can convey such beauty!
Have a blessed week!
Much love,
Sis
Wow! I love both of those titles…Thanks so much Sis for taking time to share your ideas…and always remember you are in our thoughts and prayers constantly as you go through this “dark” challenging time….knowing the song in your heart will one day bring light to others facing a similar challenge in their future.
Beautiful painting of a “Resting Place”. Enjoy your blog every day!! You are such an inspiration.
Beth…so wonderful to hear from you!…I think of you often in the garden…your sweet contribution is still right there and looks healthy enough but I can’t get it to bloom for some reason…maybe one day when you have time you can stop by and we can have a ‘laying on of the hands” on it or something. 🙂
Love “Resting Place” too…we are all getting a sense of a spot that we would love to find to curl up in and just be happy to be alive in all God’s beauty…a refreshing rest from our labors.
I love it all..the light, dark ,storms and even sun ….but could do without this heat.
The painting is lovely but a simple word came to my mind at once…REST
So many God Winks popping up…we are all experiencing such similar feelings about Anne’s painting…I find that comforting!
Love the painting with its vibrant colours surrounding the weathered wooden bench which seems to be calling: “Come Sit with Me” or “Come Sit a Spell”. My husband just built me (us) a swinging bench for our 50th anniversary and it is a place of retreat and quiet rest for me. Love to retire there at day’s end with a favourite book and glass of cold iced tea. I feel I could do the same when I look at this beautiful painting too.
Lynn…I will have to tell you a God Wink connection tomorrow in your comments….priceless! Thanks so much for participating… Always love your comments and ideas.
Hi Becky. I looked at the painting before I read the entire blog. My first thought was my mom. I could envision my mom sitting with family telling us stories. I think “Reminisce” is a nice title. Thank you for sharing. Idelle
Ooh…love that too….and you are right…I associate storytelling with benches and telling childhood stories. Thanks Idelle! So great to hear from you….hope you and your family are doing wonderful…miss hearing from you! 🙂