The morning after an election brought me to think about the quiet, peaceful place in the middle of a hurricane; and then to Jesus walking on the water. The disciples were afraid of Him for a bit, seeing Him as a phantom or ghost. It was dark, and the storm was raging, their boat was battered by the waves. I remembered, when my husband was talking, that Jesus comes sometimes in unrecognizable form in the darkness and the storms… sometimes it is the storms that cause us to need and see Him. Even the storms are controlled by Him, He is Lord.
Hence, I decided to share this painting, painted earlier this year.
Which Side of the Boat – 48″x 48″ – ©2018 All Rights Reserved
One morning I looked out the window at the sunrise, and all of time stretched out in the sun rays into an ocean, where Peter was stepping out of the boat, pressing toward the mark, to go to Jesus. The time of Jesus on the water and His returning are separated by the shadow of the cross – nearly imperceptible now – painted small as a narrow gate, but huge and substantial in God’s plan. Peter walked on water, just as all believers do in belief until the return of our King.
Where Peter was with Jesus physically on this earth, we, on this side of His crucifixion and resurrection, chosen and called, walk to Him, look to Him, hope in Him…. being transformed through His working, as we are to be like Him, see Him as He is and know Him as fully as we are known by Him.
The holy ones clothing becomes the white linen, becoming the army of Christ coming with Him to Armageddon, ruling with Jesus in the heavens during the 1000 year kingdom promised to the true Jews.
Jesus is depicted coming on a cloud, on a standing horse rather than charging, until all the people that are called and chosen “get out of the boat” – resurrected in unending indestructible Life. Death is under His feet.
This scene depicts a passing of “time” as well as a “moment”…
Now the people who are getting out of the boat not facing Jesus, are swallowed up in death’s waters, then burning in fire. I painted them to actually embody the fire.
The birds in the painting: Doves represent the Holy Spirit, Seagulls represent the earthly and the vultures in the death waters I omitted for now.
The angels are seen, pressing against the arc of the earth’s atmosphere watching, waiting, witnessing, pressing – not yet released to deal out vengeance on those against Christ.
This painting came a stroke at a time. I was led through it, piece by piece. Being unsure of where I was headed with it, I used a very small brush most of the time until it presented itself to me.
