Rays Of Heaven

Today I am thrilled to have a very special guest post from April Mitchell.  Not only is our guest a student but she also spends most of her free time working with children.  She is also my youngest child and my favorite daughter!  Even though she wrote this for a school assignment, when I heard what she had written it touched my heart and so I asked her to let me share it with the world.  I hope it touches your heart as well.

I was sitting at a local hospice center, where my grandmother is currently living; and in the family sitting area this painting hangs above the couch.  There hangs a plaque underneath the painting stating that it was donated by the family of a former hospice resident. I was unable to locate a title for the painting. To most people this painting is just a scene of a landscape of trees and mountains. When I look at this painting, I see much more. What I see when I look at this painting is God’s love for everyone and the promise He gave all of us. It also proves that God is all we will ever need in our life.

As most, the first thing I see when I look at the painting is all the trees.  If you look closely, you will see that none of the trees look exactly alike.  All of the trees are different in a way.  Just like in real life no person is just like any other person. We are all unique in our own little way. “God created us in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).  God created all of us differently, but he created us to be who he wants us to be.  He wants everyone to be an original and not a copy.

At the top of the trees we see a light shining down on them and underneath the trees we see a shadow; this goes to prove that God is always here for us. He walks with us being our shadow, and shines a light for the way when we don’t know where to turn. It also shows how God will never leave us or forsake us in our dark times.

In the middle of the painting, if you look closely you will see a tiny village. To me this shows that no matter how busy our life can get someone is always there to lend an ear. Sometimes when life knocks you down upon your knees you are in the perfect position to pray. God is always there to listen to your problems and help you through them if you put your trust in him.

At the back behind all of the trees there are some mountains. As we all know between two beautiful mountains there is always a valley.

Right now I am going through what I would consider to be a very deep valley of life.  Within the past month I have found out that my grandmother of eighty-two years old has pancreatic cancer and a form of liver cancer.  This has broken my family’s heart, my grandmother went from driving anywhere she wants to go, doing anything she wants to do every day, to being confined to a hospital bed until she passes. The doctors have given her anywhere between three days and three weeks to live.

“Ye of little faith, I say to you if you have the faith of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain move from here to there and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).  I have recently been reminded of this verse to help me keep my faith in God and know that it is his will to be done. Even though it may feel like someone stuck a knife straight through my heart, I must keep my trust in the Lord.

In the mix of the clouds I see an angel. This shows me how God always sends someone to watch over me in hard times of my life. The angel is Gods way of saying ‘Do not fear, I love you and will protect you.’

When I take a step back and look at this picture as a whole; one scripture comes to mind “I will lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from; my help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1). This picture is like the calmness after the storm, and is proof that there is always “Peace in the valley.”

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