Category: Watercolor Wednesdays

Here in London we enjoyed a few days of “Fool’s Spring” with its shockingly warm temperatures – shockingly, because the summer-like weather felt distinctly odd in February. This week Storm Gareth has brought wind and rain, and a reminder that damp cold can sink into one’s bones.

But Spring is definitely on the way, and I’m delighting in daffodils on my kitchen table and blowing the breeze outside of my study window. The yearly cycle of new life sprouting out of a seemingly dead ground brings me hope and good cheer.

In which areas of your life do you wish for Spring?

My dad has titled this watercolor, “Storm Arriving.” Often we can see a storm rolling in, especially for those living on an island, the clouds taking shape or the dark descending like a blanket.

In life too we sense storms arriving. The concerning lumps and bumps or the worrying images on a scan. The telephone call from loved ones far away, their voices cracking with unwelcome news. The notice of necessary repairs, depleting our bank balances. The disappointments; the betrayals; the relationships that drain.

Jesus told us that in this life we will face troubles. The storm clouds will descend at one point or another. But God through his Son and Spirit promises to be with us, and to comfort us: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). This comfort comes via trials we’d rather not experience, from dark times when the light seems illusive.

How have you felt attended to in times of crisis and disappointment?