MichelleBenthamI sold a painting last week. It kind of caught me off guard. I had been on a prayer team for the women’s conference our church hosted last week and painted a picture I had seen in my mind’s while we prayed a few of the weekends.
I will be posting pictures of this painting soon. But, I wanted to tell the story of how it came to pass first.
I saw the vision and heard the words: “You are building a highway.” As we prayed in preparation for our big event. I then began to see a picture of a highway being lifted up in the darkness and the Bride of Christ leading the way as masses followed. Some crawled, others carried their friends on stretchers while some rode in wheel chairs. All were headed to the Throne Room to meet with their Lord. Beneath the “highway” I saw a group of women in all manner and posture of prayer. These women were elevating the “highway” and making the way for the others to come to the Throne Room. The praying women where standing on an open Bible. They were standing on the Word of God.
I rough sketched it that day and showed it to the leader of the group. She asked me if I could make copies of the drawing to share with the group. I told her I would.
I arrived home that afternoon and began sketching and painting the scene I had roughed into my sketchbook.
A couple of weeks ago, the very woman who purchased my painting said to me at the end of our time together in prayer that she saw the Spirit of the Lord hovering over me like Genesis describes the Spirit hovering over the waters in creative mode. She said that God was hovering over me creating and I had been waiting for Him to do something only He could do. She went on to say that for quite a while I had heard from the Lord something He would say about me and I would enlarge my tent to encompass what I had heard from Him. However, she said it was like I was doing it in the dark. She said, I had been faithful to enlarge my tent each time I heard something about who He says I am. She said, “You are going to continue to do that, but now it is going to be in the light.” She went on, “It is kind of like wearing a diamond ring in the dark. You know you have it on, but you can’t see it – you can feel it but you cannot see it.” She said, “But, when you turn the lights on you begin to see its brilliance and its beauty in all the facets.” She went on to say it would be like that and that very week I would begin to see the fruit of this word.
I made printed copies of the prayer painting and God finally gave me a verse to go with it. Isaiah 35. I took it with me to the last meeting a week ago last Saturday. I handed out the copies and passed the painting around so others could see it. That is when my new friend who had offered the word said, “Would you sell it because i want to buy it?”
I said… “Not that one.” I agreed to paint a new one – mostly because I felt the one presented was still in a working state. She asked how much I would charge and I told her to ask God cause I had no idea how to value it.
I painted two more of these paintings and have one other person who is interested in purchasing a copy. I sat and talked with my husband about how I should value the painting. I figured up my investment of time and finances and told Scott I would feel guilty charging a mid-range two figure price. I was shocked to find the offer for the painting God put on my friend’s heart was double what I had said I would feel guilty asking.
The painting officially sold last Friday and I am so blessed to see the Lord move in my life. He amazes me.
I have decided to use Beloved’s Dance for the purpose of revealing my paintings and the story behind them. If you see one that speaks to you – EMAIL me and inquire. The price is set by our creator and I will honor the price he gives you if you wish to purchase one.
So this is the first painting I would like to reveal:
This is my rendering of the Anointing of Jesus described in Isaiah 61. This Scripture was given to me when Scott and I came to Gateway and is part of the redemptive and restoring work that God has shown us consistently that He wants to do in and through us in the days ahead.
I painted this as a symbol of that completed work and the Gospel that Jesus preached.
Blessings and love,
