Iron Sharpens Iron
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| Iron Sharpens Iron |
"Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another."
Yesterday, an artist friend, Mark Daniels, was struggling as he prepared for a show and also worked on finishing a commission painting at the same time. I could identify with the struggle, having just recently had my own open house, and knowing what a LOT of work goes into it! (Commissions are difficult, too. Welcome, and valuable, but difficult!)
I took the time to pray for him, and was glad to see that others were also praying and sending encouragement his way. I sent a quick note telling him that I prayed for him and showing him the painting that was giving me fits yesterday! (It has been on my easel for a couple of months, and I was losing my focus and direction with it.) Mark took the time to look at the painting and give me a couple of ideas for how to proceed with it, even though he, himself was in a tough spot.
SOLD
24" x 36"
Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on gallery wrapped canvas
Ready to frame
Click here to view on my website.
This morning, as I turned to my Bible reading, one of the things I was searching for is how much 'togetherness' I am called to with my fellow believers in Jesus. Being an introvert, the current pressure to be "corporate, not individualistic" Christians had me going to the Truth to learn exactly what it said. I actually did learn a lot, and maybe sometime I will write a (900 page) book about it, but several verses came to mind almost immediately.
Proverbs 17:17 (HCSB)
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| Iron Sharpens Iron, vertical |
and a brother is born for a difficult time."
Hebrews 10:24- 25 (HCSB) "And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
John 15:12-13 "This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends."
1 John 4:7-8 (HCSB)
"Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
John 13:35 (HCSB)
"By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
I had been working on the idea of God's love for us as I painted. 1 John 3:1 (HCSB) "Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!..." was going through my mind continually, and I was working the composition and color palette with that concept to communicate. Part of those decisions involved using a cruciform composition, and I was relieved to find that Mark could still see it, though it was cluttered by the time I sent it to him to look at!
After a lot of work, paint, looking and turning the canvas, I am delighted with the result. And here is part of what I absolutely love about it! This painting can be displayed either vertically or horizontally - reaching upward, or reaching outward. It is a beautiful expression of God's love between me and my Heavenly Father, and between me and my brother. Isn't that cool?!
Though it is tough to see, this color palette includes a lot of iridescent silver and copper, which is my 'language' for God in many of my paintings.
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