Hey sweets! Popping in today to show you a new digital set, a new contributing artist, & a confession. I often think things in my head that I’m scared to say out loud because I don’t want to seem like a “bad Christian.” But then I remember that God already knows what I’m thinking anyway! HA! So I’m going to share it with you now: faith is hard. Like really hard sometimes. Especially the days where I’m having to take a big step when I can’t see the rest of the staircase. And the Lord asks me to do that a lot. Sometimes I think: “Why can’t things be easy for once? Why can’t You just tell me the outcome!?” Well, after using the newest product hitting the shop, I found a scripture that has the very best explanation I’ve ever read.
Today we released a brand new set in the Print & Pray Shop called Things Unseen by artist Mandy Ford! This product is all about having faith when we can’t see ahead. When we can’t understand His plan. When things aren’t easy. This new set is based around Hebrews 11:1 which I LOVE! But that page in my Bible was already taken. Then I came across another passage with a similar message. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says:
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal,” (ESV).
How chilling is that? (Chilling in a good way!) The things He’s preparing us for are eternal. The struggle we’re encountering in the now is fleeting & temporary. We’re such impatient beings because we don’t fully comprehend that this difficult moment is but a drop in a giant ocean. The things unseen are the lasting ones, the big important stuff.
I think Mandy Ford’s work captures this perfectly. Not only do I love Mandy, but I felt drawn to her work so much that I was moved to ask her to design for our little shop. What was unseen to me at the time was this message she would highlight for us all as a reminder of God’s perfect plan. It’s such an obvious topic, but one that we need to hear over & over again because sometimes faith is hard. But we know that the hard stuff is the good stuff. The things unseen are the things eternal.
<3 Elaine
Illustrated Faith Things Unseen digital set by Mandy Ford | Photo Play Autumn Day alpha stickers | Master’s Touch Acrylic Paint in Viridi | Artist’s Loft Acrylic Paint in Portrait Pink | Faber-Castell Big Brush Pen in #186 Terra Cotta
I love this, Elaine. <3 And that scripture is perfect. I had a watercolor class recently where the teacher told us to "paint around the negative space" – the unseen, negative space was the most important. We have faith in the unseen because our confidence is in Him.