Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Makeda Mekelle


Makeda Mekelle
(Beautiful, Who Is Like God)
Amharic

18" x 24"
Oil on Linen with gold foil

$800

Also available as prints and note cards.

One of my 'friends' on Facebook is a wonderful artist and photographer named Gisela Hammer.  She graciously allowed me to paint a small child that she had photographed.  In her picture, this little girl is in ragged clothes.  The filthy shirt was so torn that there were no shoulders.  She was holding a staff, and stood smiling in front of a rock wall.

There have been other times I gazed upon a person, usually a child, and felt that God gave me His heart and His eyes to see that one, fully loved, fully healed, fully blessed and protected as only our Heavenly Father could do.  That's how it was when I saw this precious little girl.  I saw past the earthly to her true self, her highly esteemed position in Abba's kingdom, and created from her present image an eternal angel.  I "redeemed" her torn T-shirt, stitched in an African gold necklace, and replaced her staff with a golden angelic trumpet.  I hope when you look on this painting, your heart swells.  I hope that you will look on the lowly and the ragged with God's heart and God's eyes, and be filled with His love for them.  He loves you the same way, you know.

Matthew 18:3
And Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Mark 9:37
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My Name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One Who sent Me.”