trees...

      I am drawn to trees.  There is something about a tree that is safe, nurturing, strong, wise, and dependable.  Especially those big trees that have been around for hundreds of years.  They have endured so much, from storms to droughts, from spring times to families of animals making homes in their branches.  Those trees have changed with their environment, they have survived the odds.  And there is something beautiful about that.
       So much of my artwork is centered around trees.  And I often imagine my  life is like that of a tree.  I long to be mature, dependable, centered, strong, overcoming the obstacles of this life, and flourishing.  But that road is not easy, nor is it quick.  It is one that is full of storms, full of losses, and times of drought.  Sometimes I wish I could press the speed button and make it hurry through the painful times, but then the growth would not be as substantial.  So I wait through the painful times.  I wait through the droughts, and the seasons of plenty.  I wait and trust that God is pruning what needs to be pruned, that he is watering when I need it, and he is withholding the rain when it is right.
 in the mean time... I dream of trees.