ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

Yesterday was spent going through more art. I truly was amazed at the countless paintings still uncovered. As my grandchildren are curating the art, they have gone through boxes, files, closets, shelves and walls full of all sorts of watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, prints and sketches for future paintings. Some of them have never been seen except by the artist himself. Some of them show his decline in health over time. The last few years it was apparent that he was losing his pristine sight. His paintings became clouded and muddied at times. The question arises. Should they be included in his collection? Are they of any value? They are a part of his story as much as the rest. Undertaking a task like this is really a full-time job. Paul wanted his grandchildren to inherit his collection. For them it could be a heritage passed on by Grandpa which might even become a business opportunity.

When we hold onto things of this world, we are not submitting to God’s provision. He invites us to rely on Him totally. We, in turn, try to figure things out ourselves and lose sight of what He has already planned for us. Submission is difficult. We like to think of ourselves as self-reliant. God doesn’t want us to be foolish in our judgment. He wants us to have faith in His plan. So how does one let go? Some would say that God has given us a free will and use that as an excuse not to pray about it or give up. Some would say that surrendering to anything is like throwing that free will to the wind. God created us in His image. He knows us inside and out. How would He not take care of His most prized possession? The Bible is filled with stories about people just like us who faced problems that we also face. It gives us a guide for living that cannot be imitated. Getting into it on a daily basis will give us the ability to surrender completely to him.

Raising hands to our God on high, with head bowed in submission,
Tears flow fast as our eyes do cry, repentance and petition,
The words seem empty as we pray, but God will send His Spirit,
He knows exactly what to say, so God will surely hear it,
We lay our prayers at Jesus’ feet, we know that He’ll stand for us,
Our every need we pray He’ll meet, He never will ignore us,

When troubles linger in our mind, all things seem problematic,
For Satan always tries to find, the glitzy and dramatic,
To tempt and draw us far from God, we don’t see through his lies,
We follow down a road less trod, we decide to compromise,
God’s given freedom from our pain, it isn’t complicated,
He died for us and rose again, His love He demonstrated,

And when our final day has come,
To God’s strong arms we’ll surely run,
With perfect souls to offer Him,
Christ paid for every single sin,
Our confidence in Him alone,
Will take us to our heavenly home.