Choosing the Narrow Path
Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, ‘Which one is the good way?’ Take it and you will find rest for your souls. [Yirimiyahu 6:16]
I have wanted to paint windows, doors and gates for at least the past 15 years. Long before I even realised why. My journey of sanctification only began 14 years ago when I surrendered my life to my YHVH. It’s been a long, slow uphill journey of repentance and forgiveness as I’ve sifted through the layers of my life. An incredibly liberating process that led me to finding my true identity in my Abba Father.
So as you may/or may not know, in Hebrew the door/gate points to our beloved Yeshua as the door to our salvation & redemption. I painted this battered, rusty gate as it has a dual meaning for me. It represents Yeshua’s humility and also speaks of my broken past. I feel it symbolises the internal prison I held myself in for most of my life. Through a slow process of making wiser choices I allowed the Holy Spirit – the Ruach Hakodesh – to heal me from within and deliver me to a place of peace and freedom in Him. The loose, unlocked chain speaks of forgiveness which leads to freedom. My hands in this painting depict aspects of both holding on and letting go of my past as I persevered in faith. The transparent white cloth is representative of the purity of Yeshua that I choose to follow, allowing nothing in me to be hidden. There is a path we are called to walk on and it’s narrow. It leads to freedom.
Who Knows When
And I saw the heaven opened, and there was a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Trustworthy and True, and in righteousness He judges and fights. [Hazon 19: 11]
Taken by surprise I watched in awe as the wind whipped the sheer drape , sucking it in and then spitting it out – hurling it back inside towards the ceiling.
The storm was immense. Water thundered against the open window and lightening cracked open the sky.
In those brief moments my heart quickened and I wondered how long before my beloved returns.
In Readiness
10 Because you have guarded My Word of endurance, I also shall guard you from the hour of trial which shall come upon all the world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 See, I am coming speedily! Hold what you have that no one take your crown. [Hazon 3: 10-11]
In this painting I wanted to shift our awareness from earthly matters to spiritual matters. How easy it is for us to focus on the world and what our neighbours are/or aren’t doing, yet lose sight of our accountability for what we bring to this world. This painting is a reminder for me that I am a spiritual being first, above my soul and flesh, here to do the will of my Beloved. In His perfect order. Not wasting any more time, but focusing on my purpose in Him whilst I’m still on this earth.
The Narrow Path
Therefore Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but possess the light of life.” [Yohanan 8:12]
Because I love Him, I choose to follow Him in obedience. Although I was created perfectly by Him, I am imperfect in my humanity. I stumble and fall often, but He is always there to lift me up.
Sanctification is a process where I’m learning to teshuvah. This Hebrew word means to repent when I step away or fall from my Beloved’s instruction, and to turn away from that behaviour.
I had been walking barefoot the day my sister took this reference photograph of me.
After completing the painting I wondered why I’d left the traces of dirt on the soles of my feet, because I’d had no impulse to clean them up.
I later realised that the dirt was a reminder of the wounds and scars that could possibly surface and/or re-surface as my healing continued in my life where I would be required to teshuvah and forgive.
Gateway to Freedom
And of Him you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became for us wisdom from Elohim, righteousness also, and set-apartness and redemption [Qorimtiyim Aleph]
This image speaks powerfully of the freedom I experienced when I submitted to my Beloved. Choosing to be sanctified and set-apart requires full courage in Him.
I depicted my hand thrusting the gate open in faith for His redemption of my broken past. The transparent cloth speaks of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) that resides within us when we choose Him – and Who never leaves us.
What I love especially in this image is the strong diagonal to the right that singularly overrides all the other negative, downward slanting diagonals. This speaks of hope to me when I felt there was none. Despite the prison I’d built-up around me through my dishonour and sin, my Beloved redeemed me.
The loosened chain speaks of restoration in Him.
Reflecting on this painting my sister saw something amazing which I believe was the Ruach’s doing. The letters of our YHVH are spelt in the structure of the gate.
Reference photography [traceyraeimages.com] Fine Art Photographer