There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 NIV
When was the last time you encountered tangible, interactive grace?
Stepping into the home of Erica Gosen a few months ago, I was met with a warmth and kindness that would continue to impact me in ways I never could have expected.
A fellow creative, Erica had commissioned me to create a vintage-aesthetic still life painting for her home. It would be quaint and cottage-esque—sweet and peaceful in it’s final product. But the production call was lofty: gingham tablecloths, intricately-woven baskets, and fresh botanical imagery.
This work would be the most complex subject matter I had taken on, and yet, as circumstances would play out: Erica’s warmth and kindness served as the grace that undergirded my courage in a way that taught me much about the lavish heart of God.
Today, I’d love to share a few of those reflections with you.
And yet, before I go any further, I’d like to offer a spoiler: the subject matter of this painting became something both Erica and I agreed had the potency to serve the hearts of many Christian women and homemakers. In the end, this commission became collaboration, as Erica poured the beauty of her heart into a piece of writing to coincide with the visual piece. More on that to come!
Below are some scribbles I poured out onto a Pages document as I worked with Erica. It’s drafted and unedited, and I’d prefer to keep it that way as I think it captures the raw outpour of my heart as I encountered these new thoughts in real time…
My actions stayed the same, but all the fear was gone.
This, my friends, summarizes a tangible interaction with grace I had recently.
I was alone in my studio, finishing up a commissioned artwork. I became acquainted with the recipient of this piece through my child’s school but otherwise didn’t know her.
She had me to her home so I could get a taste of her personal style, and hear a bit of her heart behind why she wanted an “ebenezer artwork”.
As she was sharing—with incredible humility—how God has been faithful to her in her journey, all I kept thinking was “her heart is so beautiful”.
It was meek, kind, humble, and warm.
The piece she was inviting me into was far more challenging than anything I had taken on before. It involved a printed tablecloth and an intricately woven basket. As you might be able to imagine, transferring such complexities onto a canvas is much more challenging than, say, a smooth bowl or simple shape.
And yet, her inquisition was riddle with mercy as she assured me that if this task became too heavy to bear, it would be completely fine if I came back with a simple composition—even if it lacked the details she had originally commissioned me for. Rich with grace, which, after hearing her story, seemed rooted in a deeper trust that God carried her. She seemed ready with the rhythm of release—an art many of us long to master.
As I stepped into her painting, impacted by her grace, I felt emboldened to give it my all. Her heart was so kind, and there was nothing I wanted more than to give her the very best I could, and to bless her with more than she could have hoped for—but it was going to take work.
As I slowly and steadily made my way through her artwork, brush-stroking every tiny basket-weave and shadow, I noticed something in my spirit: her grace enabled me to work hard, without fear. Knowing I had safety to “mess up” helped me to operate with freedom, taking risks where it was needed, and to step out of my comfort zone.
The result: in the end, the completed painting was far more complex than anything I had made, and my skills expanded.
This is what is possible when grace is the grounding you’re working from.
This atmosphere carried on into the framing process. This is a portion of the work that can bring stress as it involves things like power tools and screws—all items that are also out of my comfort zone.
And yet, as I went through the very same motions I have done before in framing—I noticed my demeanor felt different: I was doing the same actions, but without fear.
You see, in every framing project, I have always done my best. I have always wanted to provide the very best for those who have entrusted me with artwork for their home. And yet the process has been high-stress.
For this recent commission, I had the opportunity to still do my very best, but to do it with a heart of peace.
The peace that only grace provides.
So in the end, who really provided the service for whom? She is walking away with a painting, but I am walking away with a richer understanding of how different life is when grace is the grounding we move upon. Grace is stabilizing, meek, and steady. And it enables us to serve more boldly, work more fearlessly, and to do it all with undercurrents of peace.
I am grateful!
I hope that blessed you. I have thought often abou the feeling I had completing this piece of work, and it has emboldened me in my Kingdom Callings as I remember God’s abundant warmth and grace that is the safety net that catches me when my flesh falls short. May you be encouraged to remember that very same truth today.
Stay tuned for the newest art release (May 2025) titled, A Gathering of Goodness.
