The Meeting Place
10×10 inches
Oil on Panel
Framed
The Meeting Place was inspired by a quiet church nestled beneath the brilliant colors of autumn, but the painting came to represent something far more personal—a reminder that God can use even our ordinary passions in extraordinary ways.
About the Painting
The Meeting Place began as a plein air painting of a small country church on a beautiful autumn day. I was drawn to the warmth of the light, the vibrant sycamore tree, and the peaceful character of the scene. I expected the day to be about painting, but it became something I could never have anticipated.
As I worked, a young man unexpectedly pulled over and asked if he could talk with me. What began as a casual conversation grew into a long discussion about life, faith, and my own journey with Christ. By the end of our conversation, he chose to place his faith in Jesus. I packed up my easel that day with a completely different understanding of what had happened. I had gone out to paint, but God had used that simple act as the setting for something eternal.
When I returned to the studio to complete the painting, I added a figure walking from an imagined shadow in the foreground toward the church. That figure represents the young man and symbolizes the journey each of us takes from darkness toward hope and faith. The glowing sycamore tree also took on new meaning for me, reminding me of Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore tree because he longed to see Jesus. What had begun as a landscape had become a testimony.
While The Meeting Place reflects a deeply personal experience, I hope its meaning extends beyond my own story. We rarely know how the ordinary moments of our lives may touch someone else. Whether through our work, our conversations, or simply being present where God has placed us, we have opportunities to become part of a story much larger than our own.
