With You

This piece became much more than a commission.

A friend asked me to paint him something and to pray about the subject. I thought and prayed about it and felt led to remind him of God's presence—that Christ is with us not only in our highest moments, but also in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Even the simple things can become acts of worship when we remember we belong to Him.

What I didn't expect was that this painting would become that reminder for me.

When I started this piece, I was questioning whether I should continue making art at all. I was discouraged, overwhelmed by life, and trying to figure out how to provide for my family. I had begun measuring my worth by how people responded to my work. Every rejection felt personal because I had unknowingly tied my identity to what I created.

Over the next three months, this piece exposed something in my heart.

I realized I had been creating from fear instead of joy.

It also taught me healthy expectations.

I learned to respect the limits of my materials. I originally planned to paint this entirely in acrylic, but I wasn't where I needed to be with the medium. Rather than forcing it, I pivoted to oil pastels. Even then, I had to let go of details that weren't serving the piece and trust the process.

More importantly, I learned to have healthy expectations of myself.

Growth takes time. Skill takes patience. Not every painting has to prove my value.

And perhaps the greatest lesson of all was this: I don't have to earn acceptance. I have already been accepted in Christ. My identity isn't found in likes, sales, or praise. Those things may come and go, but they do not define me.

This painting now reminds me of two things: God is always with us, and the gifts He has given us are meant to be stewarded with faith, patience, and freedom—not fear.

I'm grateful for this commission, for my friend, and for what God taught me through the process.