Abide With Me
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and San Antonio being on lockdown, The Lord has provided my family a way forward with our lives. He held out His hand and helped us take a faith filled forward step.
I know that He is providing for our family and will continue to provide for us.
He has declared, “It is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine” (D&C 104:15)
As our moving date gets closer, we have had some trials but also some blessings. We are unable to donate all the extra junk we’ve been bagging up while packing, since Goodwill is closed. But we have had many friends in the ward offer to take the junk off our hands and donate it when things reopen.
Our toilet paper and paper towel supplies (which were dangerously low when everyone panic purchased everything) have stretched and lasted, being plenty for us until we move.
Our landlord’s parents moved back into town and will be taking over the rest of our contract, so we don’t have to worry about rent after we leave.
With clinic and in-person classes cancelled, I’ve had Weston home full-time and we have more than enough time and energy between us to get our house packed, even being unable to send our girls anywhere else while we do so.
And in the midst of all this chaos, I am continuing to have sweet people approach me about commissioning artwork. I never take on too much, or a commission that I have no time or capacity for (thankfully I mastered the art of sensibly loading my own plate a long time ago!!) and I was able to paint TWO paintings for a wonderful lady in my church ward before packing up my studio.
I didn’t get a good photo of the first one, but the second was an oil painting of the Savior - she let it be “artist’s choice” and so I gratefully got to work.
Golden hour light. Wildflowers. Warm undertones.
Even filled with all my uncertainty and stress, I prayed that I would be able to imbibe this painting with peace; knowing who is was for, and how much she was probably worrying about the world, her primary class, her friends, and each person in the ward. I wanted to be able to bring peace into her home.
Abide With Me!
Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day.
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Thru cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me!
Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1793–1847
Music: William H. Monk, 1823–1889