Into a Closeness

Throughout the Biblical narrative we find God appearing to his people through a cloud. It is apparent that something in the essence of clouds reflects aspects of God’s own nature. Beautifully majestic. Gentle as a whisper. Thundering with mighty power. 

When I spend time alone, I find myself looking to the clouds. In these moments of intentional stillness, God’s presence feels very near. Just as God appeared to Moses and spoke to him face to face (Ex. 33:10-11), so I wait for him.

The delicate, clean quality of watercolor seems to naturally illustrate the nature of God’s gentle voice of redeeming love. There is an effortless grace in watercolor painting which is beautifully demonstrated in the works of Ali Cavanaugh and Lilias Trotter, both of whom have influenced my growth as a painter.

Impossible without water, this medium requires an element outside of itself for any work of beauty to spring forth. Such is my life. Any good and beautiful thing within me finds its source in the Living Water flowing through me.

The pieces of poetry scrawled on these walls are excerpts from my journal—entries that detail the questions and requests I have brought to these moments of stillness, as well as the answers —whispers of truth from the cloud of his presence. In this time with God, I may not have found all the answers but I have found all that I need. I encourage you to sit in quiet desperation.