I know Lidia through a prayer group. 5 of us ladies, meet once a month at our friend's home. We have dinner and wine and talk and then we get out our bibles and pray together. We pray for the men in our lives, and each other, our loved ones, our world, and every other thing needed. Lidia and I joke we are like the Yaya Sisterhood, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. : )
So last Friday, at 4 am, I awoke with a vision of sunflowers, blue sky, and Lidia. I figured I would paint it that weekend, thinking the funeral would be Monday or Tuesday, and would take to Lidia. But I couldn't go back to sleep and as I worked on finishing another painting I kept sensing I should do it NOW. I said ok Lord, I'll do it now. And it was quite emotional painting it. When i painted on the 'arms', I cried. Because it was like oh, i see what this is, even though I painted it, it was like someone else did and I felt so touched when I saw the little embrace, of Lidia holding her boys close.
I ended up finishing it in time to get ready for work and drop off at Lidia's house. She texted me later that she has been thinking about sunflowers a lot lately, just last month decided she is going to plant a bunch of them in her yard. Said they remind her of her mothers home in Tuscany. (And today she showed me several pieces of sunflower art throughout her home.)
And she told me that in Italian their meaning is Look to the Sun/Son. And that she took comfort in God showing her that we can look at the darkness, or we can look to Him for comfort and peace and hope.
So Sunday ended up being a small, intimate funeral, and she went to put the painting in the bag and planned to take with her to go along with her eulogy, and when she stuck it in it bumped on something, she said whats that and pulled it out. And it was the picture attached. It was taken on Fathers day.
A family member had given her the pics the day before, but she didn't make the connection, til that moment when she held them side by side. I had thought the flowers represented her and the boys, but obviously there was a different meaning.
When i looked at Rod's arms around his boys, and the flowers arms, and remembered the moment they came off my fingers and tears poured out, I exclaimed Oh My Gosh! And the sunflower leaves kind of mimic their hair, and the placement of their heads in the composition.
Just amazed. She said this has been a huge comfort to her and her boys, and I think its one of the most important amazing things I've ever been blessed to take part in or create.
In bible study last week they talked about how scripture reveals that we can't 'do' anything to make God love us more or less, but that when we delight in him, obey him, and seek him, He will demonstrate his Love to us more.
I have experienced this in so many precious countless ways over the last 5 years, this being one of the most moving. I am so thankful to be His.
Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
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