Artwork: Fields of Hope
By Sharee Wanner
@shareewanner
@throughmyeyesbyshareewanner
I painted Fields of Hope for a dear friend battling cancer. I contemplated how I could show her in that painting how our family has been influenced for good as a result of her in our lives. I also wanted to paint something that would mean a lot to her and give her hope during this challenging time.
Her sweet spirit draws people to her in so many ways. One of them is her example to follow the light. Our sons have been best friends since kindergarten. She’s been a second mom to him through the years and their home is full of love and warmth.
I found out that she loves sunflowers. As I read a bit more of sunflowers and their characteristics, two of them stood out and reminded me of how she lives her life.
Young sunflowers follow the sun across the sky each day. As they mature, they only face the east. On cloudy days, sunflowers turn toward each other for light and warmth. In giving they receive.
Just like the young sunflowers, she follows the light – the light of Christ, the light of the gospel. And like the mature sunflowers she knows the source of the light will be renewed each day with the rising sun allowing more warmth to come into her life.
By having hope in a bright new day and by looking toward the light she grows her testimony, and in turn, shares the light she has with all around her. I hope I can be like her and follow the light with more purpose each day and share it with others along my path, even on cloudy days.
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Thank you for the beautiful sunflower art. I am so very sorry your friend has cancer. I have come to know that the health or otherwise challenges we have are meant to teach us lessons we could not learn otherwise. For the past almost eight years I have suffered from post-nasal drip which ended up with an infected chest.. It has been challenging for me as sometimes it keeps me up half the night. The Lord said it would be cured in a good time and I keep asking,, “When is a good time?” The answer is always the same. .”Soon.” What I have learned from this experience is exact obedience. I was instructed not to have sugar. I did not listen well and had something with sugar. I was sick the whole night into the morning. I heard one sentence repeated to me over and over. “By strict obedience, Jesus won the prize with glory rife.” I have been obedient since to His word and am quick to repent when I fall short.