I was invited by my dear friend, Cathy Cooksey, to be a guest artist at a ladies' conference at Scott Memorial Church of God in East Ridge, TN.
When I arrived, I expected to set up and be painting somewhere in the hallway, greeting the attendees as they arrived. Little did I know that the plan was that I would be sitting up front beside the stage and painting while the speaker gave the presentation. Talk about nervous !! I had brought a very small reference sketch of a tree, thinking that would be an appropriate subject.
As I laid in the large masses, my hands were shaking and I was hoping that the ladies didn't notice. But as the music played and the speaker took the stage, I began to calm and focused on my painting - and listening to her words of encouragement and challenge to the listeners.
Her message was that we should be the women God has chosen us to be. And that we should boldly step out and meet that challenge. All the while she spoke, I was painting - and listening.
As she was finishing, I concluded that I had indeed chosen the right subject for my painting. And the verse came to mind that put it all into perspective - Jeremiah 17 verses 7 and 8.
"Blessed is the man that trustesth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
After the painting dried, I framed it and gave it to Cathy with instructions to present it to the organizer of the conference. She was a blessing to all who were present.
