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Fri 12/15
Story
A Picture of Faith
Based on a story by Lori Kegel Ellis
Paradise. It was close enough to touch. A sparkling blue bay dotted with sailboats. A cityscape in the distance, hugged by tree-covered hills. In the foreground a brick patio where a table was set with two empty chairs.
Too bad the view was only a painting on Lori’s dining room wall, tucked inside a whitewashed wooden window frame.
Outside her real window was a typical suburban neighborhood north of Seattle where she had lived for the past 24 years and raised her daughter, Kelsey, who was then doing a three-month internship in Australia. Although Lori dreaded flying, Kelsey convinced her to visit. She needed a getaway after all.
There had been so many challenges of late. First, her husband, Kelsey’s dad, asked for a divorce after 23 years of marriage. Soon after that, Lori’s mother landed in the hospital. Lori had also lost her grandmother, and her father had taken a bad fall. She leaned on her faith as she tried to keep it all together, but she’d never felt so alone, so lost.
Was it any wonder she wanted to jump through that fake window and leave the real world behind? After all, she hadn’t really chosen that painting. It had chosen her, 15 years earlier.
After purchasing the frame, Lori eventually stumbled upon the painting at another shop. She’d never seen one that was so inviting, so peaceful. She had to have it. It fit the frame almost perfectly.
She stared at that painting every day, especially during hardships.
When Lori finally reunited with Kelsey, they celebrated at a restaurant in a harborside suburb just outside of Sydney. Lori looked out into the distance and watched the boats bob on the water. A feeling of peace settled over her. She wanted to remember this special moment. Before they left, she asked the waitress to take a photo of them.
Before she knew it, Lori was back home with Kelsey. Back to reality. The uncertainty. The worry.
And yet more than ever the picture on her wall gave her an inexplicable sense of peace.
Eight months later, Lori looked at the photo taken of her and Kelsey at the restaurant…. then looked up and leaned in close to her fake window. The bay, the sailboats, the table for two…everything was there except for the bridge. She called Kelsey into the room and pointed at the painting on the wall. Kelsey smiled slyly and lifted up the wooden frame. The bridge was hidden underneath. The picture was a perfect fit after all.
Story
Story Title
Author Name, Organization Name
–Wanda McDaniel
“Fear says we can’t. Faith says we can.”
A Guideposts reader from Randleman, North Carolina
Reflect
How will you trust in God the next time you need to face a big fear?
I will remind myself that anything is possible with God by my side.
I will change my perspective from “I can’t do this” to “I can with God.”
I will keep my eye on the life God intends for me and let that bring me courage.
May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!
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