A Provision Painting and a Prayer
Provision 1 – The Beginning
This post is the story of how a painting blessed two families and was an answer to prayer. About 14 years ago, I painted Provision I in acrylic on a large canvas. It was inspired by the story from Matthew 14:13-21 where Jesus took two fish and five loaves and fed 5,000 people. This passage was very precious to me at the time because our family was going through a very tough financial period which God used to show us that He not only was Provider for the people in Jesus’s day, but he was also Provider for us here and now. This was a time when I struggled to buy canvases and paint supplies and we had to make many sacrifices financially. I painted the painting as an act of trust in the Lord. A woman from my church bought it! I was thrilled because it met some huge needs for us at the time, but the story didn’t stop there.
Provision 1 With the First Family
“Provision I” hung in her home for 14 years and was a constant reminder to her and her family that God is her provider as well. Through each trial, as they raised their children and journeyed through life this painting helped her remember that God is her provider in all things. This year, she contacted me because they were downsizing their home and selling most of their things. She wanted to know if I wanted the painting back. I accepted it and wondered what I would do with a 14-year-old painting. I don’t even paint in acrylic much now and prefer oils. I stuck it in the back of a closet and forgot about it.
Provision 1 Prayed For
During this same time, another family from my church kept expressing their enjoyment of my art and wanted to purchase a large painting. They came and visited my studio and nothing was affordable for them in the large size they wanted. They left empty-handed. This man had been praying for God to be His provider and sensed the Lord chasing after him with blessing. He was a man who trusted the Lord.
Provision 1 And the Second Family
Then I remembered the old “Provision I” painting in the tomb of my art closet. I fished it out and retouched some places on the painting and gave it new life and pop. I texted the original owner and let her know I found an opportunity to bless another family with her old painting and asked her permission to gift it to them. She was overjoyed that this painting would be going to a new home and be a reminder to a new family that God is our Provider. We gave the painting to this new family and they too received it with wonder and joy. It was larger and more colorful than any of the other paintings he had looked at and just what he wanted. Below is a picture of the painting in its new home.
Provision As An Answered Prayer
I felt like I was in the middle of a miracle and had a front-row seat as I watched God unfold each detail in the story. The first time I painted the painting, God showed me that He cares about my financial needs and is my Provider. Then while the first family owned the painting, God showed them that he is their provider for every Spiritual need and their Sustainer. Then when I got the painting back and was able to give it to someone else, God showed me that he orchestrates all things in His perfect timing and blesses us with opportunities to bless others. When the second family got the painting, God showed them that He delights in the prayers of His children and gives them the desires of their hearts. He truly is a God who chases after us with blessing. We just need to pay attention to His gentle invitations and trust Him.
