Watercolor Reminders
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Every year on this day, I’m reminded of the brevity of life.
When I was a sophomore in college, I painted this scene as a sobering memory of the place where I crashed 9 years ago on March 4, 2014—my senior year of high school. There were many things that could have happened, that should have gone incredibly wrong, and would have drastically changed the course of my life forever. My vehicle ended up being totaled, but, by God’s grace, I left the wreck without a broken bone or bruise or cut.
I’ve only shared this photo from the wreck one other time on this day last year, but it’s worth the reminder that none of us are guaranteed how much longer we have on this side of eternity. Perspective is a gift and it reminds us to make the most of the time we’ve been given.
To be grateful.
To love deeply.
To live with intention.
To listen more. (& speak less)
To forgive often.
To not grow weary in doing good.
All in the hope that through the conversations and relationships and mundane moments of every day, more people would come to know & believe the hope found only in Jesus. Life is short, much shorter than we realize, and I don’t want to get caught up in the distractions that distance me from my primary purpose: to know God and bring him all the glory.
I’m letting go of the frivolous and meaningless things of life so that I may pursue Jesus with full abandon. I don’t know exactly what this looks like yet, but I know it will be a moment-by-moment, daily pruning and surrendering of my selfish desires as I grow closer to Jesus. I pray as the years go on and I live to see another day that I will live wholeheartedly for Jesus, running after Him, stewarding the gifts and talents He’s given, and remembering every day is new, full of his undeserved mercies and faithfulness.
Today, this painting lives on the wall above my bed as both a decor piece and memory from art class in college. But most importantly, it’s a morning & evening reminder of the grace of God and the absolute gift that life really is.
