Storm Walker

by Vicki L Thomas

Title

Storm Walker

Artist

Vicki L Thomas

Medium

Pastel - Suspended Pastel Art

Description

STORM WALKER is a pastel painting confronting your faith, even when you don't want it to. When you hope you don't have to find out you are not as strong and steadfast as you hope you are.
"When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, (in the midst of a storm) they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming, thinking Jesus didn't care about them." Mark 6:49 CEV. They were scared out of their wits! The angry wind, the gnashing water, the fragile wooden boat dashing about, everything was against them in the fierceness of this storm and Jesus (their anchor) was not in the boat! And now, who is this figure of a ghost coming at them? What would you think?
I have to admit, there are times when I too feel a sudden shock as I study this painting. But then I recognize the eyes and my fear disappears and a peace beyond understanding begins to fill my heart. Suddenly I forget the waves and hear Jesus call out to me, hoping I will trust Him rather than the wind and water raging about me. I finished the painting. However, I did not realize the personal importance of this painting.
Being a prophetic artist, I must apply spiritual lessons to myself, first, not just throw them out to others, thinking that an insight or instruction doesn't apply to me. I had a haunting feeling about the meaning of this painting. Even I had struggled at times to keep my peace when I looked at it. I earnestly sought the Lord, did I truly follow the Spirit? Well, it was only a few weeks later that I was hospitalized for a quadruple bypass. The irreversible storm had hit like a sudden hurricane! As it turns out, some things will happen in spite of all manner of prayer. The better purpose of God is yet to be revealed. He chooses to answer according to character rather than our wants.
In the midst of apprehension and unrest, I stared at the painting as though seeing Jesus walking on the troubled waters of my own life. I was frightened. I won't lie. I desperately needed assurance He would see me through. I battled the things that tried to destroy my peace. Truly I was horrified of dying on the operating table. (One of the saints had gone through the same thing, yet the Lord took her home with Him.) I felt my time was not yet, but feelings can lie. Our desires can override the will of the Spirit and get us into to trouble. If you have ever had such experiences, you know what I mean.
After a week in ICU, I was finally placed in a private room and was on the way to a full recovery. I slowly realized this painting was not a fearful premonition of evil, but rather a promise-keeper of hope, love, and faithfulness. God so intently loved me that He wanted me to know, that like Peter, I too could walk on water, and even if I faltered in faith, as he did, Jesus would rescue me and preserve my life.
Many times, we feel we fail the Lord when we're scared or simply overwhelmed by circumstances. But He is with us, to deliver us, protect us, and go through any storm of life, no matter how fierce or terrible. He is ever ready to assure us of His love and forgiveness with complete restoration. That is the greatness of His humanity on earth: showing divine love given us by the Everlasting Father who counts the number of hairs on our head, who feeds us as the sparrows and with a grain of sand, holds back the vastness of an ocean so immense, that we are not overwhelmed, but overcomers!

Uploaded

March 11th, 2014

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