Fired Up

I’m gearing up for changing out my paintings displayed at Brother’s Cafe in Santa Rosa & Brew Brothers Coffee Shop in Sebastopol in a few days. This week I’ve been working on a redwood tree- or two trees, or a a canopy… it’s all in your perspective.

After chemotherapy in 2021, Brent and I drove North to Garberville and enjoyed the towering redwoods. It was fall, so it rained a bit & then the sun burst forth, filtering rays through the mist. I looked up at the sun and noticed that it was glinting between two trees that came from one.

The original tree had survived a fire. The bark was charred and black. Then it split into two trees. The symbolism struck me as significant. In the midst of the cancer fight I was in the flames and headed for surgeries I didn’t want. This tree had scars from a battle, but instead of the fire crippling the tree, it had multiplied.

I grew up among 300 acres of redwoods here in Northern California at a Christian Camp, Mt. Gilead (more in that in the blog “Roots”). They are spectacular trees. As a child I played in the groves. We had a grove that was our house, one that was our restaurant, and one that was our castle. There were stumps that showed fire damage amongst those groves.

I want the tough times in my life to leave me stronger, not a stilted stump- even thriving. This tree spoke to me of the possibility of that eventuality, bringing hope.

I think the difference comes in the roots- do they go down deep enough to get the nourishment needed despite a fire, or drought? This makes me think of Jeremiah:17:7-9, “But blessed is the one whose trust is in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by streams of water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought, it never fails to bear fruit.”

My faith journey began a long time ago and has been deepened by various struggles but none more so than cancer. It made me dig in and rely on the Living Water as I felt like I was crawling across a dessert during treatment, and now continue to seek to regain my stamina.

Whatever struggle faces you, I hope you can be encouraged that from where you draw your nourishment makes a difference. You don’t have to fear a year of drought or the intensity of a fire. We understand fires now in Sonoma County, CA on a whole new level since the devastation brought by them here beginning in 2017.

When the smell of smoke fills the air figuratively or literally, we can know that this trial doesn’t have to leave us devastated. It can actually be a springboard for new growth.

I hope you enjoy these new paintings. I spent most of the last two months focusing on forest scenes, including my first attempt at snow! The process of painting is part of how I’m thriving. I hope you too can discover what gives you joy and spend time pursuing it 💗