Steady

This piece came from reflecting on and praying about the word “deep”; Specifically, the depth of God’s character.  I’m not a goal person.  They stress me out.  But I made a goal this year to focus on learning more about God’s character through scripture and prayer rather than spending so much of my energy praying and thinking about my "problems" or worries.  If I could focus on God’s character more, my problems would be in better perspective and I may not even consider them worth my worry. 

I think about the depth of God’s attributes; His goodness and gentleness, His justice and mercy.  I think about how His character is so pure in form that we cannot even comprehend it.   It’s too good.  He is too good. 

Then I come back to depth.

We have the joy and mystery of being loved by a God whose depth of goodness will never be fully discovered by us. 

This pool image helps me connect these ideas.  It helps me remember the steadfast but moving character of God.  God is the same, he never changes.  Everything that he is is already within him.  It’s all contained in one pool.  But the body of water has beautiful movement.  We learn something about his character on the surface of the pool, then He moves, and something new and unexpected comes up from the depth for us to delight in. 

I feel the turmoil of the world and of my own problems.  The clouds that hover and threaten.  And it all seems so urgent to be solved (by me, of course).  

BUT.  

If I can keep perspective on this pool; the calm and sure movement within it and of all the promises that it holds, then I can be reminded that He is steady and I am loved.

-Anna

This is the first painting in a series that I just finished for an installation in November and December.