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“You are precious in my sight and I love you.” Isaiah 43:4
One afternoon I was browsing in a resale shop. I’d never been there before but on my way through town I decided to stop. There was quite a variety of “junk” but nothing I couldn’t live without. Then I spotted a scenic picture against a back wall. Pulling out the cardboard I gazed upon the artistry and immediately related to the symbolism in the painting. However, the large picture had no frame and seemed a bit pricy. Slowly I put it back, even after the clerk told me I could have it for half the amount of the sticker price. I’ll look for a frame and think about it, I decided.
That night in bed I couldn’t get the picture off my mind. I hadn’t found a frame, but I still wanted it. Jesus whispered, “It is My gift to you.” Why didn’t I realize earlier that this picture was especially just for me? Before dosing off I made the decision that next time I went to Trenton I would purchase my picture. If Jesus wanted me to have it He would keep it for me.
A couple days later I couldn’t shake the urge that I needed to go pick up my picture, and since I was out anyway I drove down the mountain to the resale shop. Retrieving my gift from the back wall I informed the young clerk, “I came back to get my picture. God wants me to have this.”
“A lady picked up that picture yesterday and looked at it,” she told me, “but I knew you’d be back.”
Handing her the money I smiled, “This picture holds meaning for me.” As I drove home I felt so loved.
Maybe someday I can find a frame and hang it, but for now it sits on top of my piano. My picture is an ocean scene with a light house, probably on the coast of Maine. Dark clouds are in the sky and in their midst a rainbow arches downward. Two eagles fly over the surf below. Serenity pervades as calm after a storm.
Every time I look at the nature scene the symbolism speaks to my heart. Jesus is the Light in the house of my life. For years rainbows have been God’s personal reminders to me of His loving care in my life. This past year has been difficult with several family deaths and tragic situations. The rainbow, which is central in the picture, is God’s promise to bring good out of evil, to give me hope and a future beyond the sorrows and storms of the present. He also assures me, “You can soar like the eagles.”
Jesus led me to that picture and convinced me to buy it as a visual message. He is personally interested in me and understands my heartaches and longings. I am precious to Jesus. His picture gift is very special.
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