Treasures…as kids they are rocks or a favorite toy; but as adults, we are a lot more selective about what we treasure and how these precious items are displayed in our homes. At times these cherished things remain hidden in albums or boxes, but some are put on display and are puzzle pieces to the road we have travelled to become the person or family we are now. Unique to you, these items are often reminders or a season of life that makes us pause and reflect on the wonderful-ness, or memories that time evoked that we don’t want to forget or let go of.
There are a few things that I truly treasure in my home and today I am going to share with you one that is dear to my heart. “Faith Like a Child” by artist Krystle Marriot is that treasure. There is a story to this piece of artwork and that story is what makes this item something that I will never part with, and if I do, it will be to share it with my daughter.
The story begins just over five years ago…
After we’d had our first son, it took a really, REALLY long time for my husband to be ready for baby number two. In fact, it took about a year and a half of discussions before he was ready to go ahead and try again. After a few months, we found out we were pregnant and I was elated! I had hoped it would be the girl I had always wanted and we waited expectantly for the baby’s arrival. Well, much to our disappointment, at 10 weeks we had a miscarriage. It took a bit for the reality to settle in but I was disappointed in a way that was really deep. I was SO excited and now my hope felt like it had been dashed into a million pieces. But I am a person that believes in God, and I knew that He would not let me down; I needed to have faith and believe–to try again and know I would not face the same results.
Now, I had seen Krystal’s painting at an Art Crawl the year before. It stayed in my memory and I had even showed it to my husband saying how nice it would be to have for our little girl’s room one day. I inquired about the price and it was more than what we could afford. Krystle is also a friend of mine so she knew how much I liked it, but we had to wait to make a purchase that “big” for us. When I had lost the baby, God put it on Krystal’s heart to GIVE me this painting. Even now I tear up thinking how huge that was for me! She wouldn’t take no for an answer, so home it came. I hung it up in our dining room where I had my daily devotions so it would be a constant reminder. “Faith Like a Child” was exactly what I needed in this next season of life!
After a few months we found out we were pregnant again; I was excited, but I was also afraid. At 20 weeks we found out it was the girl we had been praying for and everything looked great. Yet I was still afraid that SOMETHING would happen and I’d be disappointed yet again. As I would pray each and every day for this baby forming inside me, I would look at that painting and it would give me hope.
Hope in God.
Hope in His promises.
Hope that she would be ok.
Hope that all would go well and there would be no issues.
To be honest, it was a daily struggle. Two people in our circle had still births and it made me so afraid…but “Faith Like a Child” kept me hanging on.
Now, our little girl is almost four. She is full of life and twirls and dances her way through every day. This piece hangs in her room…to be honest I designed the whole color scheme around it…and it is a constant reminder to me of the faithfulness of God. We even used “Faith” as one of her middle names! To her, it’s the “princess” painting, but to me it means so much more!
Our homes should reflect who we are, where we may have traveled, special moments in our lives; it’s layers of our history put on display. I love walking into people’s homes and seeing things that are unique, personal, and a part of their history. I recently was at at client’s home and admired a painting of her holding her newborn son–it was a stunning piece given to her by a dear friend. It’s her treasure…it tells a story and captures a precious time in her life as a mother. “Faith Like a Child” has a spiritual connection that I can pass on to my daughter and teach her what it means to believe, to hope, and to dream. And that’s a treasure that will never lose its value!
What are some of the items you treasure and how do you display them? I’d love to hear your thoughts and even see some of your treasures! Feel free to post some of the pieces in your home that tell a story about you…
“The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.” Judy Garland
Art Crawl photos provided by Christine Hoppe-CMBear Art
Prints of “Faith Like a Child” are available through Art by Krystal Marriott
