Painted in live worship. Encounter Conference DaySpring 16 March 2019
I wrote ‘let him’ on the canvas before we began … let Him in, let Him do, let Him because He knows most what you need and where you are going.
During Eric Johnson’s afternoon session (15.3.19), when he spoke so freely and candidly of “his worst year ever”, he opened his heart to us vulnerably, and I received the several elements of this painting one at a time. This is a new way for the Lord to speak to me about my art, and that in of itself is a ‘word’ for me. It is a new era of communication.
He showed me two points around our hearts with arrows striking those points like lightening. (And yes, the next day, I did miss painting the arrows.) In the painting, the first ‘shell’ represents breaking off the covering of disbelief, where we have said “Yes!” to Jesus and asked Him into our heart. This heart is the persona we show to the world around us, the tip of the iceberg visible and accessible. The ‘us’ that is careful and guarded. The second ‘shell’ represents the hard covering around the ‘real’ us that we refuse to crack, where we become vulnerable before the Lord and show up with other people how we really are. This cover is painted orange, representing intimacy (into-me-you-see).
Throughout the day, Eric, Candace Johnson, and Katherine Ruonala spoke into Christian believers being real with one another, loving each other through our struggles, and not doing the niceties of going to church and going home disconnected. “It’s time to say you are struggling when it’s happening.” (CJ). Give each other the time and space to connect on a deeper level. Say so when you are in that oddly painful place between the promises and the fulfilment. Right now God is “doing vulnerability” on earth. It is deception and pride to think you need to be doing well to release the “good stuff” of God. “No, no matter what is going on for you, God has mandated your access to the oil and the wine.” (KR) Jesus said: “As I am so are you in this world.” God is humility, kindness, and love, and SO ARE YOU.
When you let Him, He will take your heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. The oil will pour out over your vulnerability, and from this new place comes stronger fresh growth. God is in your future and talking back to you with the voice of a loving father. So, “listen to Him and move forward toward your future”. (EJ) Trust Him.
