Art & Soul post #21 by guest author Ruth Weaver-
I grew up praying before meals to thank God for the food we were about to eat and also for the many blessings in our lives. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 107:7a (NLT), “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good!” I specifically asked my niece, Elana, to create an artwork that featured this verse because I wanted it in my dining room as a reminder to always be thankful. 
I especially want to remember the last part of the verse – God is good. People may disappoint us, but God doesn’t. He never leaves us. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of all of us. There have been times in my life that I cried out to God in desperation, and He has always calmed my fear. God really is good!!!
God has also shown me His goodness by allowing me to feel and see His healing touch. I remember a time when I was experiencing a problem with my health in which I would get weak, dizzy, and shaky. I started testing my blood sugar when I felt this happening and discovered that my blood sugar was too low. One Sunday afternoon, after drinking grape juice, I started feeling like I was going to crash. I tested several times, and my sugar was dropping so fast that I thought I was going to lose consciousness. My brother, Paul, was staying with us at the time. I called out to him to come lay his hands on me and pray. He did, and I felt a warm sensation that started at the top of my head and then traveled down to my toes. I immediately felt normal again, and, praise God, I haven’t experienced an episode like that since!
“Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.” -Luke 4:40 (ESV)
Another time that I saw God’s healing touch was when my children were young. At the time, we had three children age seven and younger. I was woken out of sleep in the middle of the night by the sound of our youngest child coughing and gasping for breath. Her breathing was so tight and raspy that she was really struggling to breathe. My husband was in Canada on a fishing trip so it was just me and God. I was thinking that I needed to get all the children out of bed and get us to the emergency room. I cried out to God to help us, and immediately her breathing settled down and she was able to breathe again. No trip to the ER was needed! God doesn’t always answer my prayers in such dramatic fashion, but He’s always there to calm my fears and help me to think things through rationally.
I requested that Elana use poppies in this artwork because I just really like them. At our previous home, I had a bunch of poppies. Before we moved, I gave some of them to my friend, Rita, who had always wanted to grow them too. I was glad that my friend had some of those poppies. I thought that, someday in the future, I would get a start back from her. Rita had battled breast cancer for years and had been doing fairly well, but eventually the breast cancer returned and she passed away in August of 2016. Now, when I see this beautiful poppy painting that Elana made for our dining room, not only does it remind me to pray and to be thankful, but I am also reminded of my good friend, Rita. 
Now you understand why this artwork holds a special place in my heart and home. I want to challenge you to start thinking and writing down the many things in your own life that you are thankful for. Start a gratitude journal and give thanks to God every day for His goodness! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We have a good, good Father who knows what’s best for us! He knows that a grateful heart is a happy heart!
Thankfully His,
Ruth
God is truly so very GOOD! Many times He works through others to show His goodness. My aunt, Ruth, is one of these people. She has helped me during difficult times and has been a wonderful role model. She has shown me firsthand what it means to be thankful for the many ways in which God blesses and provides for His children. It was truly my honor to create this artwork for her. My favorite song is “Goodness of God” by Jenn Johnson in which she sings, “All my life you have been faithful, and all my life You have been so, so, good. With every breath that I am able, oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.” When I hear this song and think of all the ways God has been good to me over the years, Ruth often comes to my mind. I am so blessed to have an aunt who loves me like a daughter! She will always hold a very special place in my heart!
-Elana Brownfield
Ruth Weaver
I am retired and live in beautiful Holmes County, Ohio with my husband of fifty years. We run an Airbnb named Ruth’s Inn in Berlin. In my free time I like to spend time with my children and grandchildren, read, travel, ride my electric bike, and dabble in crafts.
All profits from Redeemer’s Heart Art for Charity Store purchases of Give Thanks to the Lord and other art products will be given to our featured charity.