oil on canvas
40" x 30"
May 2005
[COMMISSIONED]
In May, 2000 my husband Tim and I flew to San Francisco and then spent the next 12 days exploring the west coast, driving north all the way to Seattle. We took this trip to reward ourselves for the five long years in which we had both made many sacrifices in order for Tim to change careers and fulfill his dream of becoming a structural engineer.
We took this photo early on in our trip, so it was somewhere in CA (maybe near Jenner?) along Highway 1 where we had just pulled over to enjoy the breath-taking view. I remember hiking up a small hill and then looking out to be amazed by the panoramic beauty that was surrounding us. I think I’ll always consider this hillside view you see depicted in the painting, one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen on this side of heaven. If I stop and think about it, I can still feel the warm sun on my face and hear the sparkling grasses whispering to each other in the gentle breeze.
The paintings “hwy. 1” and “mendocino” are both reminders to me of God’s faithfulness and provision to us during Tim’s time at UWM. And although that was by far the longest journey we had ever taken together as a couple, over and over we were blessed and provided for in ways that we know could have only come from God.
Looking back, it is so obvious how God’s hand was on us, steering and guiding, and even sometimes pushing and pulling us along. From the first weeks of engineering school in 1995, until the landing of an incredible job before graduating in 2000 (at which Tim is still happy at five years later in 2005) God was with us every step of the way. That certainly didn’t make it easy or the sacfices any less painful, but what it did was give me that confidence that God is real. And more importantly, that He can be trusted with my life — no matter how long the road seems.
[ The painting called "hwy. 1" can now be viewed in person, along the shores of Milwaukee's lakefront, as it is part of the Lake Express high-speed ferry's permanent collection of paintings. http://www.lake-epress.com ]
