A CHILD’S HEART ART
My friend Danielle sent me this wonderful piece of heart art. To me, it’s a masterpiece! During a prayer time at Braeside Camp this summer, I told Danielle’s mom about my husband Todd’s heart problems. Well, Grandma told her grandson Keaton and Keaton’s art delivered the message to his momma, Danielle.
You see, Keaton is a big prayer warrior and has his own prayer journal. One night, Danielle went to pray with him before bed and saw this ‘heart art’ in the front of his prayer journal. She asked Keaton who Todd was and what the picture meant.
I hadn’t talked to Danielle about Todd’s heart problems yet, but she put two and two together and began to join in prayer with Keaton for Todd. When my Danielle told me about the heart art in Keaton’s prayer journal, she said to “expect miracles, because he’s a serious prayer warrior and God moves when he prays”!
I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous!
[tweetthis]I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous for my life![/tweetthis]
Last Saturday morning I was up doing my devotions and praying for Todd. We met with the surgeon and it was all a little overwhelming. Hearing of the possible issues that can follow a heart valve surgery was disarming. Up to this point when we talked to people we have only heard positive reports about how better people felt after valve repair or replacement. We didn’t understand the possible complications, but the doctor made us fully aware of them! Maybe a little too aware of them!
THE ORIGINAL HEART ART
ART ACHE (c) Todd Stahl
The night before last Saturday morning’s epiphany, I had made a quick comment to Todd, my artist hubby, about how much more his Heart Art entitled, “Art Ache” means in light of his current health issues and the fact that he painted this masterpiece back in 2009 or 2010…five to six years before his heart problems! Back then, God was speaking to Todd about the inner healing He was doing on his heart after divorce. Now, this painting is holding a whole new meaning!
As I prayed I couldn’t stop thinking about Todd’s Heart Art, so I went and got it off the wall. As I looked at the painting, I felt a sense of peace coming over my soul. Fear was washed away with faith. I could have broken out in the song “It Is Well With My Soul”, but everyone was sleeping and they would have woken up thinking a cow was dying in our house…singing is not my gift 🙂
God began to speak to me about all the messages He had intended to come out of the art; some Todd understood as he created, while others are still being revealed.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MESSAGES FROM TODD’S HEART ART
The Band-Aid is on the left side of the heart…the same side of the heart where Todd needs the valve repaired or replaced!
How cool is that! In Todd’s painting where the healing is taking place under the Band-Aid, is beginning to glow yellow. God is at work where no one can see what He is doing. It’s hidden from others. Healing happens in the secret places of our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t see things happening we assume God isn’t doing anything about our problem. God is always at work!
[tweetthis]Healing happens in the secret places of our hearts <3 [/tweetthis]
The bottom of the heart is black. All those things that have happened in life to bring hurt to the heart and create unwholeness weigh us down. The heart has strings around it. On the unhealed side the strings are woven tight and close together like they are holding the heart bound. The strings on the healing side are coming loose, setting the heart FREE!
[tweetthis]God wants you to live FREE![/tweetthis]
The side that is being healed turns red as God created his heart to be. A red heart symbolizes LOVE in our culture. The healed heart is full of God’s love! Healing doesn’t just affect one area of your life. Healing spreads!
[tweetthis]The healed heart is full of God’s love![/tweetthis]
As the healed heart begins to pump healthy blood properly, love is beginning to flow to the other side. The colors are beginning to lighten up as it turns to purple. Even under the black, you can see yellow: a visual showing how God is at work in the darkest places of our heart. The darker the heart, the deeper the wound, the longer the healing process. Allow God time to heal your heart.
[tweetthis]Allow God time to heal your heart.[/tweetthis]
Soon the whole heart will be filled with God’s love.
You can see red starting to peek through around the edges showing that the heart is not destroyed. The heart is going to be healthy again as God originally created it to be!
The verse that comes to my mind is: Joel 2:25
“I will repay you for the years the loctusts have eaten… you will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God who has worked wonders for you.” Joel 2:25(NIV)
We don’t understand all that Todd has had to go through or what he possibly is going to have to face, but we will walk forward each day in the confidence that God is at work in places we don’t see.
We trust God is giving Todd a new heart to accomplish all of the great things He has for him to do—That book needs to hit the shelves and more artwork needs to be painted! We know that God is with us. Whatever way God chooses to bring about this miracle of a new heart, we know He’s going to do it! We in boldness proclaim the promise of God that when this is all over, God will have repaid Todd for all that has been taken away to the point that he is walking in abundance of life and health, prospering and praising God for His goodness!
Waiting for a miracle,
Sherry
xoxo
This post was originally written on July 24, 2014, before Todd had his surgery and made a miraculous recovery from complications after the surgery! Then, I wrote a post called Heart Art Music from some of the songs you all sent me to encourage me.
Since then, Todd is back playing hockey, firefighting and creating art in many forms. Within a year of surgery, his first book, 40 Days In The Mancave was published by Word Alive Press! To hear Todd’s retelling of this miracle check out his site.
To see more of Todd Stahl’s art, Check Out:
Todd’s website: http://www.toddstahl.com
His facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ToddStahlArtist
The page dedicated to Todd’s testimony: https://www.toddstahl.com/the-significance-of-art-ache/
To read a sample from Todd’s Devotional, 40 Days In The Mancave: Click Here: https://toddstahl.com/devo_06_sample.pdf
To Buy his book on AMAZON, Click the word Amazon
[tweetthis]I am expecting nothing less than the miraculous for my life![/tweetthis]
[tweetthis]God is at work in places we don’t see![/tweetthis]
What beautiful imagery. I am duly impressed by Todd’s creativity and your ability to decipher it into words. I love both Keaton’s and Todd’s creations. Brilliant. Tell Todd I am anxiously awaiting that devotional for men. I spoke to you about it at Write! Canada, assuring you I would buy it pronto! Blessings and peace to you both as you face another challenging step in the journey. Great blog post. Glynis
Thanks Glynis! It was really nice meeting you at the Conference. Right now we’re getting Endorsements for Todd’s book. Can’t wait for it to be in print either. I’ll make a post about it for sure so everyone can get a copy. Check out the sampler Devo on Todd’s website. That’s how we hope it will look if we have our way 🙂
This is amazing! Praying for a miracle.
Judi Peers
Thanks for your prayers Judi!
Hey Aunt Sherry,
This is very encouraging, gave me goosebumps. I will be praying for Todd. God works in mysterious ways such as art work and small children.
miss you!
Miss you too girl! Glad we have the internet to keep us all connected, but face-to-face would be so much better! 🙂
Will be remembering Todd in my prayers and you too Sherry as you go through this together. God allows us to go through challenges which makes us stronger and closer to him. Your words always encourage me. I have such a challenge in my life right now, feeling defeated I then turn on my computer and there it is. Your words of faith in the struggles you have too, but you never give up and just keep looking to God for his perfect timing. God bless you both!
Joe Ann, I am convinced that life here doesn’t go without struggles. Everyone needs a crutch to get through and mine is my faith. The crutches I see others using really lead to worse struggles! So glad you’re leaning on the same crutch 🙂 I’ll be praying for you.
Sherry
xoxo
What a piece of art and a beautiful narration of it. I too suffer from the same problems and am very energized and inspired after reading your words, lucky are those who have family members like you to encourage them during their struggles.
I hope your husband went through successful surgery and living his life better now..
Chintan,
I’m so thankful God brought you to my blog to encourage you that He can heal! My husband is well and living life! Here is my hubby’s side of the story on his website. You can check out more of his art there. He has a whole series of heart art that we’ve created cards from. Praying for your healing.
https://www.toddstahl.com/the-significance-of-art-ache/
~Sherry