Quiet Waiting

This painting is about the state that we choose to be in when we are forced to be in a place of uncertainly, pain, or despair. Often, we are forced to be in situations we have no desire to be in. Often these are just minor inconveniences like waiting at a bus stop in the pouring rain. Or maybe it’s a seemingly endless line when we are already running late. Some annoyance or irritability is common during these times.

What about the other times when it doesn’t seem so minor? Perhaps you or a loved one has experienced a loss of health. Maybe you have longed to have a child, and despite all the treatment and endless expenses, the tests continue to come back negative. Maybe you regret giving up a baby for adoption, and it seems like forever before you can look for them. Maybe your career appears to be going nowhere. Despite all the hard work you’ve done, other less experienced people seem to keep getting promoted, leaving you in the dust.

In our society, we spend a lot of time waiting. Sometimes we feel stuck in a place that seems to have no end to the despair like our life is just one big never-ending storm that we can do nothing about. We hate the helplessness that waiting entails, the endless uncertainty we are forced to take on.

We often desire peace when we are in the midst of life’s storms. Yet, in our search for this quiet place, we prevent peace from actually penetrating our distressed hearts. We forget that the most powerful peace is the quiet stillness in the midst of noise, difficulties, and uncertainties. We forget that above the storm clouds, the sky is still blue. Instead of escaping the storm to find the stillness, you need to be your own stillness within the storm.