art in my office
on 31 years of a calling
I bought a print last summer.
It’s only the second time in my life I’ve bought art for myself.
The first time was 26 years ago, during my first trip to Ukraine. I paid $5 for this gorgeous little painting from a street vendor in Dnipro. I still love it. In one place we lived, I worked the entire decor of a bedroom around the depth of its purple.
These days, it hangs in my office, a constant reminder of the land I love.
Last year, for some reason, it felt meaningful that I was approaching 30 years of pastoring. I’m not normally a person who pays attention to these things, but for whatever reason, it mattered. I had seen this print pop up online, and it captured me. So I looked up the story behind it, and ordered it.
It now hangs on my office wall too.
It’s called “Mary Consoles Eve”. Sometimes I just gaze at it.
I first see Eve, vulnerable, the serpent still curled around her leg, claiming her. She still clutches the fruit that has broken her. Her face carries a mix of shame … fear … sadness … and maybe? … tentative wonder, as Mary, knowing her pain, gently takes Eve’s free hand and places it on her pregnant belly. With her other hand, she lovingly touches Eve’s downcast face. Where Eve timidly ducks eye contact, Mary offers her kind, gentle gaze. She tightens her lips, steps on the head of the serpent. I imagine her whispering to Eve, “Look! The promise, fulfilled. I’m carrying that promise. You have not broken the world beyond God’s ability to save it. It’s ok. I’ve got this. I’ve got you. We’re in this together, my sister. All will be well.”
And I shake my head and wonder again how women became secondary characters in the story of Christian faith.
It took a year to get around to writing this post. (Unless I did. Maybe I did, and now I’m writing it again.)
This month marks 31 years of pastoring for me. I laugh nervously when I say it out loud, because how can that be true, and how old am I, anyway? But also, my goodness, I love this calling.
Thank You—my God, my King—for calling me.
PS Don’t even bother with the “em-dash-proves-it’s-written-by-AI” speech. It doesn’t. Just stop it already.
I remember a time in ministry where I thought I had blown it. I had had someone come at me during a very tiring season and after a very long service in the small nursery with no help and many littles. I responded with a hearty "This is NOT the time for this!" in a harsh and loud tone and angrily walked away from them. I ran into the office crying; knowing that this meant they would be leaving the church and thinking about how it would affect their family. Like I had messed up and now their marriage troubles would never get better, and their kids would leave the faith and why hadn't I just done differently because I felt like their future with God was never going to recover because of my actions that day. As I was sobbing and confessing to a dear accountability partner...as the words were coming out of my mouth, at the same time it's like I could sense God almost smiling and laughing at me (not in a bad way) but just at my silliness. Then I felt the laughing reprimand of "Do you REALLY think...I mean REALLY think...that there is anything that YOU could do that would be able to stop me from reaching them? Do you really think you're that powerful?" I can almost see the smile and gentle laughter from that feeling deep down in my Spirit as he gently corrected me. I will never forget that day and am so grateful that in moments where I fail others, that His joyful grace extends to me and His love and work in them is not stopped by my failures. I don't know if that makes any sense...but thought I'd share. Also, congratulations on 31 years and thank you for serving Him and your community so faithfully!