Monday, June 23, 2014

LOOKING UNTO JESUS IN EVERY SEASON OF YOUR LIFE

(Image Source: MaggieMiller,llc- www.maggiegmiller.com)


It has been a while since I last posted, the holidays were upon us and we welcomed in 2014, Happy New Year everyone.    I was very excited for the New Year as I have been working on my health, new website, and new products and making wonderful plans for spring.
 
But in March 24, 2014 my grandma left this world, it was truly the most painful event of my life to date.  I loved and still love my abuelita (grandma) she was my second mum.  She was 95 years old when she left us and so one can say she lived a long life and when I think about it she had seen and experienced things I only read in history books.

The mourning process has been and continues to be very difficult.  I sometimes can get a scent of her or hear her laughter and if I think hard enough with my eyes closed I can almost feel her hugs.  It has taken me some time to get back to painting or creating anything really, I wanted to quit everything.  But God obviously had different thoughts about that and my grandmother would not have been happy about that choice either since she was never a quitter.

It is funny how much more one can learn about someone even after they pass and the lessons they continue to teach us when you think about the life they led.  I did not know how much in common I had with my grandma, we were so much alike.  She love to paint and recycled even back in the day, her love of cooking and sewing which she passed on.  I have her crazy sense of humor and straight forwardness when I speak to people.  And my heart is just has big as hers when it comes to loving on my family, friends and strangers and giving of what I have to help others.   
I was reminded as I was reading through my devotional in Ecclesiastes 3 1-2 to everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven, 2 A time to be born, a time to die, A time to plant And a time to pluck what is planted.

So I got back to work slowly and a dear friend had commissioned a painting which will be the cover of her book she is working on.  I hold the rights to the actual image and so I use it for prints and will have some note book journals coming out soon.

I chose the image of a sunflower which represents so much strength and hope to me and butterfly for the beauty and meaning of transformation and strength as well.  They both are so very delicate and yet both can with stand a great deal from the elements.

The scripture I chose for the actual print is Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

It is extremely personal for my family and myself as we mourn the loss of our beloved grandmother and mother and learn to live a new normal without her, but we are  a strong and faithful family who trust, believe and have complete faith that we will see her again.  We hold on to God's promise
s.   Until we see you again grandma. 


Four Generations Maria Montanez Franco 12-5,1919- 3-24-2014

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