The Burden, The Gift, oil on canvas, Marcia Carole
Some of this painting was done with my fingers. I enjoy actually touching the paint – maybe I’m making up for lost time when, during my childhood, getting dirty with paint wasn’t acceptable. Who knows. It helps me to worship Jesus when I paint with my fingers. And, so, it was a great morning of worship in the studio today, with paint, fingers, heart and soul.
I wanted to paint Mary and Jesus as very human with the huge task – almost burden thrust upon them – of caring for Jesus, God incarnate. They can barely handle it! In the painting, they are cradling the baby, as if he were quite a weight or burden. They can barely get their arms(and minds) around Jesus.
Amazingly, one day, this baby will carry all of our burdens or weights to the cross – freeing us to lay our burdens down. We each have our brokenness, hardships, cancers, overwhelming responsibilities or sorrows, losses and heartbreaks. Let’s celebrate the gift of Jesus and His arrival this Christmas, and lay down our burdens at His feet. Phew. That’s what I’m doing!
