Spirit

The concept in this painting, Spirit, is simple but I view it as foundational to my life and I think many people can relate to it.  In it I am exploring the ever-so-close presence of God; His presence that hovers all around me.  It’s right above the trees, always.  When I step back and examine life with a wider lens, He is unmistakable.  With a larger perspective I see God in all areas.  He is close, accessible and waiting. 

Then, insert my humanness. 

It’s so easy for me to miss His Spirit’s rich company and His deep desire to be understood as the safest thing I could possibly know.  So often I am moving through the heaviness and depth of the forest with my head down.  Letting the busyness of my life surround me on all sides.  In addition to forgetting about God’s presence, I also lose sight of the beauty around me.  The forest becomes dull and it doesn’t really matter where I am anymore.  The landscape is just something to get through.  I lose all sense of wonder.  My motivation changes when I’ve lost perspective of Above.  I focus on pressing on with what is expected of me, not stirring the pot, not let people down and getting by with putting forth as little effort as possible.  I go about life as if my daily energy and efforts are finite and it’s up to me to ration them wisely.  And it’s also my job to figure out how to replenish them for the next day because it’s up to me and only me to get through this grey forest. 

It’s a heavy and skewed way to live.  But it’s so easy to find myself there. 

Thankfully, (oh so thankfully!), God is still hovering above the trees and He is chasing after me, pleading for me.  He’s patiently waiting for my time and affection while not withholding any of His.  He won’t let the grey surround me forever.  The grey is mine, not His.  He’s gently challenging me to rearrange my mindset and reopen myself to a constant awe and wonder of Him and His creation. 

And slowly it starts to feel like my senses are coming back; like I am re-visiting an alive-ness that I had forgotten about.  I can see the landscape again and I don’t feel crowded by the trees.  I can feel the changes in the air as it becomes lighter.  The ground begins to feel more secure below me.  I have a renewed sureness of my place in the trees and of my posture below the Spirit.  And with this change of perspective I experience relief and an overwhelming peace.  A peace that I’m convinced will never be found outside of The Spirit—The Spirit that hovers over and pursues me in the loveliest of ways.

-Anna