+2-28-09+copy.jpg)
The Pull
So when Jesus called James and John to leave their nets and follow him, do you think that they had just pulled up a net full of fish the size of which they had never seen before? Do you ever wonder if, in a passing thought, they considered getting that catch to market and leaving for the journey with some cash in their pockets?
Or how about the disciple whose request before following Jesus was to return home and "bury" his father. Did you ever think that maybe he realized that he hadn't recently told his earthly father that he loved him? Or maybe that he longed to give his mother a hug and pass along a bit of wisdom to a younger brother who he had essentially raised?
It's all about the pull.
In the end, all three men chose to trust their Rabbi.
They gambled on faith.
The bet paid off.
Can you imagine telling your grandkids you were one of the first followers of Christ?
That you walked in the dust of Jesus?
That you saw him appear in a room days after he rose from the dead?
That you placed your hand in the wound where He had been pierced?
Today, I choose to trust.
I choose to gamble on faith.
For I am just a man.
Who am I to stand in the way of God's dream for my life?
11 comments:
Thanks
Hmmmmmm.......reminds me of a book I just read "Surrender":)
The pull diminishes when we let Him take our hand and lead us.
"Who am I to stand in the way of God's dream for my life?"
GOOD CHOICE!
And the picture is beautiful.
ditto
I agree that the picture is beautiful!
~Caitlin
I SURRENDER
by David Odom and Joel Engle
I come to the end of myself
Running into Your grace
Oh Jesus, I praise Your name
I come to the end of my dreams
Following where You lead
May Your will be done in me
And I know the road is long
But there's hope for those who long
To die to themselves saying
I surrender
I surrender, I surrender
I stand in the midst of Your love
Wanting to sing Your song
Oh Jesus, my heart overflows
As long as I have breath
As long as I have strength left
Your face is all I see
And I'm taking up my cross,
Only to follow You
And I count it all as loss,
Only to follow You
Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896
I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
I love the picture but what is the significance of the two trees and especially them leaning together
I wanna thank everyone for stopping by and leaving your fingerprint on the greater story of this post. We all bring so much to the table of our lives – its great to share and learn and commune with one another.
I'd also like to extend a special thanks to the featured artist, Caitlin Schwerin, for not only commenting, but for being so kind in the process of a few emails we traded. I hope to feature more of her amazing works in the future. Link over to her site when you got a minute and just soak in the depths of her creativity.
As to the question about the significance of the piece featured here -- Gravitational Pull -- let me first say that blogging is an emotional release for me. Both the words I write and the art I feature is very intentional. Whether its something I'm personally experiencing, or something I'm carrying for a friend, in some way or another (although usually cryptically), I put it out there.
Caitlin explains the piece as such: "Try as they might, with all emotional obstacles pulling them apart, they couldn't help from being drawn to each other. They were like magnets."
For me, the piece was also just a great representation of the dichotomy that exists in life between the physical and spiritual. The struggle that exists between what we feel called to by the Spirit and the physical things of this earth that pull us away from that. In this particular case, it was more about something pulling me away from the spiritual. In the end, maybe it will be the pull of God, or maybe it will be my decision to trust, or maybe it will be a combination of both. And this is my four-sentence explanation, I can’t fully express, in words, the emotions that stir within me when I interact with this piece.
So what’s your take?
Thanks for the explaination of the painting. As I view the painting the significance of the trees to me is the representation of life and the continual pull of or connection to the Spirit...that my heart is drawn to that which is life and living...much like the vine and the branch and that I am not able to breath life without the source of Life being connected to me and nothing is able to seperate that life from me...though my own inability and sinfulness pulls at me.
BTW: thanks for the link to Caitlin's work, I connect very much to her paintings.
Here is my take on the picture. The soil looks like the earth as God made it with the deep rich red look. The sky looks like life and the storms that we face. Notice, the storm clouds try to take away the sun (SON) but they can't. The two trees are really interesting because the one esp'ly is fighting off the wind and storm to reach over to the other tree. In the storms of life the SON shines through and we need the draw of others.
Post a Comment