Recently I was commissi
oned for a very special portrait. A man named Cleveland Smith has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and his family wants a painting created of him looking well, to assist in his recovery.
I’m asking that everyone who reads this to keep Cleveland Smith and his Family in their prayers.
In fact, if you have any words of encouragement, I’ll pass it along to his daughter to give to Cleveland.
I was very touched by the situation. I believe in modern medicine, but there is something to be said about the power of the mind. I mean, what does this family have to lose? And nobody can really tell how long someone has to live.
Beyond it all, I feel very inspired and happy to participate in this project. Here is the initial email sent to me by his daughter–
I was doing a keyword search for sketch artists in Modesto, CA. I came to a website called Partypop.com and then I found your listing there. I love your artwork. My father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease back in Sept 2009. He believes he can come back from it. Our family is working on serious faith right now despite appearances. He has lost a tremendous amount of weight. He is 6′2″ and weighs approx 133 lbs. We keep telling our dad to visualize himself back healthy again standing tall and out in front of that same doctor’s office with his whole family, next to his new Bentley! Getting ready to go inside and shake the doctor’s hand who told him he wasn’t going to make it past 3 months! Tucky, it is my fondest desire to have a painting like this drawn. I know that it will do wonders for my dad. He is already doing many things that people who have ALS can’t do. He is really resisting this thing and believing in God’s promises of healing. I believe in my heart that seeing how he envisions himself-in the form of a beautiful piece of artwork-done by a fine artist such as yourself….would be a truly great gift! I await your reply… All the best, Christina
From time to time I will post the progress made on both Cleveland and the painting….
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Printed from: http://tuckyart.com/blog/2010/03/03/art-for-life/ .
© 2012.
A moving post, to see an artist actively do good as you are here. I am looking forward to seeing his portrait!
Malachi 3:3 says: ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.’
This verse puzzled some in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: ‘He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.’
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, ‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’
He smiled at her and answered, ‘Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.’
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
This very moment, you need to know that God is watching over you.
The only part that was left out is after it’s cooled the silversmith must then polish it to get all of the tarnish from the fire off. I take that as us making sure we have learned from our fire experience and are now ready to grow closer to God by being more like Jesus (the finished product).
Please tell him That God has promised to never leave him or forsake him. Now just praise God for the blessin gof healing that’s coming his way!