"Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree"

I had the coolest experience yesterday! It was just a total God thing. So my friend Deborah and I were meandering around downtown Greenville for several hours waiting for the July 4th fireworks to start. There are a lot of little stores near the reedy river where local artists and photographers have set up shop. :) We ended up going into the gallery and studio of Guy Stevens, a local artist. I've been looking around for different pieces of artwork for my new apartment and was just browsing when I came across this absolutely beautiful print.

I know I won't do it justice with words but in my clumsy non-artistic language I'll try to sum it up. It is a gorgeous depiction of a tree near an ocean. The sun is just starting to fall beneath the waves and the colors and movement are honestly breathe taking. When studying the tree you can see that it looks slightly weathered and although the branches are leaning out towards the ocean, the base of the tree is standing tall. You can almost hear the wind whirling through the leaves and tossing waves when you gaze at it. I'm one of those people that doesn't want to buy a piece of art unless it "speaks" to me. This painting was doing just that. When Deborah saw it the first thing out of her mouth was "Wow, it's 'How He Loves Me'!" The lyrics to the song include "He is jealous for me. Love's like a hurricane; I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy." The words captured the picture perfectly.

Before I purchased it we asked the artist the name and what had inspired him to paint it. He responded that the painting's name was "Bermuda Tree" and he had come across the tree after a hurricane. (just crazy, but it gets better!) Turns out, this tree was the only one left standing for miles around after a hurricane had whipped through the island. It was literally bending towards the ocean but holding on strong against the storm waged against it. I was in awe when he shared this. What a beautiful depiction of Christ and his love for us. I mean seriously, it could not have fit more perfectly. Just another reminder of God's unsurpassed understanding and love.

I love moments like that...when God just surprises you with glimpses of himself. As though he says "Daughter, you may be beaten, even broken..but through me you are still standing."

"I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightening with the rain and brings wind from his storehouses...Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, through all generations." ~Psalm 135:5-7, 13