To the right is the picture (streams of people) I bought with money given as a gift by my church to mark the end of my time as minister in training. I bought it from an art gallery in Nottingham where the artist, Pete Spowage, painted it just for me. I love his art and would love to fill my house of his drawings of people going about doing their everyday stuff.
I chose this painting in particular because I wanted something that would reflect the church community that had bought it for me. People, walking together and separately, in harmony, with purpose, making an impact wherever they go. You can see the footprints of the people's bodies, personalities and what drives them leak out from them leaving some sort of imprint. The rainbow colours remind me that God keeps his promises, that his promises have huge impact and that if we are looking to follow him, we aim to try and leave a bit of his love wherever we journey, reflecting his image.
This painting now hangs in my living room and in the last few days in particular it's been catching my eye as I've been thinking about life, family, church, me...... I've been thinking about the impact I make on those around me. Which person am I in the painting? What difference am I making? Which way am I walking?
Sometimes the impact we make can go far beyond the memory of making the impact....
Sometimes the impact we make can be deeper than we ever know....
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" Colossians 3:12-14
