The Gift that Keeps on Giving

I am starting a painting for a couple friends getting married this weekend. It has been amazing to watch the relationship grow between Josh and Molly, and to see how God has worked to bring them together. Josh has shown himself to be the greatest gentleman through the whole process, acting in a way that is not overly common in today’s world; he actually seems to “honor” Molly.

The purpose of the painting itself is to function as long-term marriage advice; sort of an upscale post-it note. The funny part of the whole process is that Josh actually gave me the idea for the work; we even discussed the sketch I already made on the canvas. He knows I am making it, he just doesn’t know it is for him.

The concept is based on Moses parting the Red Sea to free the Israelites from Egypt.

Science likes to play with this idea too. But only if everything is just-right. Take your pick on that one.

Here is a quick sketch of the idea.



How does this fall into marriage advice though? Simple. God cleared a path for Israel to cross. He protected them from enemies as they crossed out of Egypt to take their own land. He even provided food for them on their travels. It was obvious the desired plan God set forth. Now as time passed, the Israelites were less than happy with their situation. They missed the finer life they had in Egypt. They longed to return, even as slaves! As a result of their rebellion, they had to wander the wilderness for forty years.

Now marriage is a great thing (I have been married to my wife Maureen for over ten years!) but there are times when wedded bliss is less than bliss. The key for Josh and Molly is to remember that God has cleared a path for them to cross, He has prepared a place for them to be, and has promised to take care of them when they arrive. I hope Josh and Molly are able to remember this when times are hard. I would hate to see them wandering the wilderness for years.


Want some bad Marriage advice?
How about a site that promotes divorce? Ouch!

In the “Googled my name and this is what I found” category:
What am I doing here on March 19th? Random, but kind of cool.

2 comments:

Joshua said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joshua said...

Forrest, I can't say enough about how much this "post-it-note" means to Molly and me. And even more than your artistic abilities (which is a talent to be reckoned with), the time, love, and energy means even more. I will post here for the world to see how much your (and your family's) friendship means to us!