The Sower | Watercolor on paper
The Sower represents the seeds we will sow, the fruit of the Spirit we will bear, the resurrection to come, and the new body we will receive one day when every tear is wiped away. Growth can be slow and painful, and we don’t always know what seeds planted in us and those around us will take root, but we can trust all of it to the Gardener. This piece is a reminder of Who Jesus is, the unspeakable joy ahead, and that while we are waiting, we are called to sow good seeds and bear fruit. Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” What a beautiful promise that we can expect His goodness here in the land of the living and for all eternity.
I was inspired to paint "The Sower" because of my experiences of sowing in tears and reaping with songs of joy. I spent most of my summers growing up in Florida attending camps at a science center near my home; it was a time when my constant need to learn was satisfied, but I felt completely alone. I struggled with chronic pain and health issues and often, instead of running around with the other children during break times, I would observe the pine needles and was fascinated with the pinecones. I would talk to God and found Him always near and a close Friend, but I often prayed that I would meet a friend here who was a little like me and fascinated with the pinecones too. Around 17 years later, those prayers and hopes long forgotten, a friend handed me a pinecone and suddenly I remembered those lonely summers long ago. I experienced how much sweeter the joy is when the seeds were sown in tears as I saw how God had finally answered that prayer and surrounded me with the friends I had prayed for. God saw the little girl alone picking up pinecones and years later He handed her a pinecone just to show her He sees her, He saw her, and He always will. He hadn’t forgotten a single prayer I prayed even when I had. Just like He created this pinecone intentionally with such beautiful complexity, He cares about every intricate detail of us and He hasn’t stopped caring for, listening to, or thinking of us for a single moment.