If you are feeling discouraged...
Water's Edge - Acrylic on wrapped canvas
Years ago, I was an artist at a certain gallery. I was working so hard to create and sell as many paintings as I could. And some days it felt like I wasn't making any progress. I thought...does anyone appreciate these paintings? Does anyone think they are moving or beautiful? Yet, I prayed and painted on...
A certain gracious and well known lady in the community lived nearby. She was an art patron, and served on several museum and gallery boards. Her husband was a circuit court judge, and I would see them both at gallery openings regularly. I had even served on a board with her at one time. But, still, I thought...I doubt she even remembers me or knows of my work.
So, months go by, and I keep painting and praying. Then, finally, things begin to turn around. I start really selling some paintings. I had been painting smaller wrapped canvas paintings of local landscapes and scenes, and people seemed to like them. They were even willing to spend some money on them.
Well, one of the buyers was that lady, the gracious art patron! Apparently, all along she had known of my work and admired it, but I didn't know it. And several weeks later she contacted me to say the following: she and her husband love my work, they have hung the small local landscape they purchased in their home, and could I please be commissioned by them to paint a slightly larger one to hang next to it, as a gift for her husband, the judge?!
I was having a rough few days recently, and I remembered this story. I remembered that it is worth it to keep praying and painting, even if I feel discouraged. We can't see, and we don't know at times, so...
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 NIV