Fiber Fulfilled

My sizable file cabinet was so full that I couldn’t squeeze one more piece of paper into it. It was clear that the time had come to clean it out. I found a treasure among all those folders that I would like to share with you. Based on an unrelated note on the back of the outline for the following, this was likely written around early 1997. My friend Marni Winder Hansel and I were young mothers with our first born babies still under a year. We spent an afternoon writing out an idea I had about a personified plant fiber. Thank you, Marni for your encouragement and for contributing your writing skills that day. I sometimes need help bring my ideas to form.

The following poem is dedicated to all the fine art papermakers out there.

Fiber Fulfilled

I was born in a meadow surrounded by trees;
From birth I sought my Creator to please.
I grew up strong and ready to serve,
Fearless and bold and full of nerve.

To be used by God was my great obsession.
I wanted to make a lasting impression.
He said He would use me, “Be patient, obey;
I will be with you each step of the way.”

I was just a small fiber from a plant, big and green,
Confident God had a plan yet unseen.
Then sharply cut down at the time of the reaping,
Stripped of my bark I stood naked, weeping.

A cold-water soaking rendered me weak.
Lying there limp with just strength to speak,
I cried, “Oh Lord, see your servant’s abused!
Or have you forgotten I asked to be used?”

“I share in your hurts, I know well your pains,
But though you are broken My purpose remains.”
He said to be patient; he sees more than I.
Just trust and obey, and let your will die.

Then I was beaten, picked over, and torn,
Weaker than on the day I was born.
I was broken and bruised, tattered and frayed,
But still I held fast to the promise God made.

I was rinsed in cold water, burned with the bleach;
Though poured out together, no friends were in reach.
Caught up in waves, rolling around,
I hit the vat wall and nearly drowned.

Then I heard voices-- the vat man was near!
He spoke of the purpose and all was made clear.
They would make paper from the purest of fiber
With a sacred objective chosen from Higher.

The stir of their hands was not a bother.
The pulp must be even within the water.
The mold and deckle plunged below surface
Then arose with a shake interwoven with purpose.

“I made it!” I shouted. I was there on the screen.
I was is in that big paper so white and clean.
Our whole sheet was couched like a wave onto felt.
Then darkness came over, in lamb’s wool I knelt.

“But Lord, I can’t breathe, it covers my face.
The pressure is growing; oh, where is your grace?
Won’t you save me, can you use me still?
I thought I was getting close to Your will.”

“And now you are right where I want you to be.
Do you know you are becoming more like Me?”
The whole post was moved into the press.
The pressure grew; I was an unconscious mess!

When I awoke I was relaxed in the sun --
Warmed by the presence of the Holy One.
He said I should rest until dry and refreshed;
I held hands with my friends, forever enmeshed.

We were trimmed down to size and looking quite sharp
When rough, jagged metal attacked in the dark.
We scrubbed to get clean but had no success.
Would we live forever with this botchy, black mess?

We were stacked quite neatly with other etched pages
Then sewn on one side and sold for wages.
A family man bought us; the Lord was pleased.
I smiled, for I knew He was using me.

That night before bed, with the family gathered ‘round,
He opened the book so freshly bound.
He read from my page the words on my face;
He read about sin and salvation by grace.

My heart overflowed and burst with joy,
For I was in my Savior’s employ!
He used me for the noblest cause --
To bring praise to His name in spite of my flaws.

Regardless of talent, intelligence, skill,
Every phase of your life can conform to His will.
Don’t be discouraged when you can’t see Him move;
Just trust and obey, see His faithfulness proved!

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Rescue

It is interesting to me that in the same year, 2017, I painted Rescue for my home church, our country experienced record breaking floods.  The painting was planned before “the rains came down and the floods came up”.  Do the motions if you know the song; it’s more fun that way!  I pray that the flood victims and their loved ones, as well as the rest of us, will be encouraged by the image and its meaning. 

Scripture is full of references to water.  Most if not every book in the Bible mentions water in one way or another.  Before creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen 1:2).  Genesis 5 describes the judgment of wickedness, corruption, and violence by the flood of Noah’s time.  Moses got his name from being drawn out of the water (Ex 2:10).  When he grew up, Moses struck the Nile with his staff and the water turned to blood (Ex 7:20).  The bronze basin in the tabernacle was to hold water for the priests to wash their hands and feet so they wouldn’t die (Ex 30:17-21).  God delivered His chosen people by parting the Red Sea (Ex 14:21).  After the Israelites left Egypt, God provided drinking water from the rock at Horeb by Moses striking it (Ex 17:6).  John baptized with water (Luke 3:16).  The waters at Bethesda healed when stirred (John 5:7).  Jesus walked on water (Matt 14:26), turned water into wine (John 2:9), and washed his disciples feet with water (John 13:5).  The examples go on and on, sometimes as life and sometimes as judgment. 

Whether water is our friend or foe, whether there is too much or too little, we are not alone.  Isaiah tells us in 43:2 (ESV) that we will have difficulty in the waters:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    and the flame shall not consume you.

John 7:37-39 (ESV) describes water as the worship of believers and hope for the future:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 

The clouds represent the presence of God, dark for judgment and light for mercy.  The dark water, with hands, is people drowning in their sin.  The dead in sin do not reach toward God on their own.  However, when God chooses to reveal Himself to those drowning in the mire of sin, He grows a desire in them to be saved from their sin.  The hands represent those whose eyes have been opened and are responding to God’s salvation, with desire for Him.  The crown of thorns comes down from heaven, plunging into the water, as judgment for sin.  The resultant splash is the worship of those clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, understanding that the judgement for their sin was put on Jesus.  The splash is shaped like a crown as reference to the crown for Christians in heaven.   James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”  The rings on the surface of the water represent the effect of a Christian’s influence on the world around them, including the great commission to tell the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Desiring to make my painting, Rescue, personal to the congregation, I invited the church community to contribute symbols of their own personal worship.  I made acrylic skins of their poems, songs, photos of family, ministry, nature, etc.  The skins were incorporated into the worship splash of the painting.  In order to make the splash look good, I had to basically camouflage the symbols.  An interesting spiritual lesson came to light as I developed this part of the painting.  It is not so important to have your personal worship clearly seen by others but what a wondrous blessing to get to be a droplet in that splash! 

May rivers of living water flow from our hearts.  Stay hydrated, spiritually as well as physically.

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 The Value of Art Education

My friend Denise recently found this video of an interview I did at the Art Institute of Philadelphia during the opening reception for an art show titled "What Those Who Teach Can Do."  Area art teachers submitted their own work for the exhibition.  After an inspiring speech from an Art Institute administrator, broadcasting students interviewed some of the art teachers present.  It felt like a big Art Teacher Appreciation event, very affirming.  Some teachers were asked about their own art teachers.  So, I would like to dedicate this blog post to my high school art teacher Mrs. Helen Sanders of Chesterfield, Virginia.  Thank you for teaching and encouraging me.  I appreciate all of the opportunities you gave me outside the classroom as well.  Thank you for investing in my life.  I am a better person as well as a better artist because you were my art teacher.

There are a lot of benefits to art education.  Watch the video to learn one.

 

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