A young woman sat on the curb—crying—after viewing The Scarlet Cord. A young man sat next to her with his arm tight around her. Five minutes later, they were still sitting on the curb, and she was still crying. So I decided to approach them.
Kneeling down, I asked the young woman, “Are you okay?”
She said, “I have a heart to help young children who have been abused. It is really terrible what some children experience.” She continued to cry.
The young man nudged her and said, “Tell her.”
A firm “No” came back. More tears followed.
“Our stories may be different, but hurt is universal,” I said, pretending not to notice the telling conversation that just occurred. “My artwork is about redemption. A fresh start. I couldn’t paint like this if I hadn’t experience deep wounds myself. The artwork is about healing. You have a beautiful and tender heart. It would be really wonderful if you could reach out to hurting children and help them regain hope.”
We talked a bit more about my art. Then I said something about how this may be my last year doing large exhibitions. The young man said, “You could still do something smaller. That would still help others.”
“I’m not sure about that,” I said.
This wasn’t the time or place to discuss my art challenges. Maybe he was right. Maybe not. For the last several months, I had been thinking about quitting my art journey. It had been quite a ride. I had lots to be thankful for. But the challenges had been overwhelming. I felt tired. Depleted.
He quickly interrupted my thoughts. “But something keeps bringing you back. Like you said, ‘Hurt in your life reaches out to others in a healing way.’”
His insight surprised me. The young man had just counseled the artist. I smiled and gave them both a hug. Our conversation pictured the ebb and flow of life. I intended to reach out to this young couple but, in a strange way, they ended up encouraging me. Their youth and innocence warmed my heart. Perhaps all three of us experienced renewal. The conversation had brought healing. As we parted, the young lady and the artist felt a new sense of hope, and calling.
