Sometimes you meet someone, and you feel like you’ve known them all your life, which gives you deep joy of connection, but there is also sadness because you regret the time that you’ve missed with them. That’s how I felt when I met Marcia. She was living in Colorado Springs temporarily, and my time with her was short, but I recognized her right away as a kindred spirit, as Anne Shirley would say. Our friendship began when she agreed to lead my women’s group in a time of sharing our stories and praying for each other through StoryRopes™. This was a beautiful time for my group, but a particularly healing time for me, and as I got to know Marcia, I got to know her heart for loving women.
A fine artist, Marcia uses art to communicate the gospel to others all over the world, especially in places where women and children might have experienced trauma and desperately need a safe place to share those hurts and hear about the God who not only hears their voices, but who cares about these women and their stories. Who knows their stories inside and out, and who wants to fill the cracks of brokenness with his love. Much like Jesus did for the woman at the well in John 4.
One of the ways Marcia shares the gospel with others is through her beautiful collage books that express God’s redemption. And Marcia has published one of her books, making it available for others to use to remind ourselves of God’s tender love but also to use in ministry as we engage women in conversation about their difficult stories and how God longs to fill the emotional holes or brokenness we feel in our hearts, The Drink of a Lifetime.
Marcia has generously given us an autographed hardcopy of her gorgeous book to give away! Entering the giveaway is simple: just share on any social media platform either this blog post, Marcia’s blog post (see below), or a link to a website where you can purchase the book and then comment here that you shared! You can enter as many times as you like! The giveaway will run for 2 weeks.
Marcia gave me permission to repost an article she wrote for her own blog here, but you’ll want to pop over to her blog to read her other posts and become familiar with her art and work with women—she is incredibly talented both with art and relationally, and Mundane Faithfulness is so blessed to introduce you to her, if you haven’t already met her over in our Mundane Faithfulness Community on Facebook. So read her encouraging, truth-filled words, be blessed, and share/enter the giveaway!
My art mentor, Marge, asked me if I was excited about my woman at the well book, The Drink Of A Lifetime, being published. How kind of her to ask. What a gift to just ask me how I am feeling. She takes time to ask and listen. She models loving, mentoring well for me. She’s been a true shepherd in my life.
I think about her question. I’m in a very different place emotionally than when I first made the art for the book. Yes, I knew about the Samaritan woman’s holes and how they resonated with my own story. But now, after so much chemo pain, night after night, day upon day, I think I better know her cavernous pain – the five failed marriages and now just “living,” truly unsafely, with a man. No commitment from that man. No certainty of love, care and fidelity. I mean, she must have been emotionally spent. Done. Chemo done.
Yet, Jesus steps into her very messy story and bottomless pain, carefully revealing He profoundly knows her and loves her in the safest way possible. He initiates in a winsome way, (“Can I have a drink?”) His desire to be eternally committed to her in life-giving love. (Living water) Most would certainly be put off by her messy life. Handling someone else’s pain, without suffering ourselves, rarely happens. However, Jesus did not distance Himself from her; He moves in close to make things eternally right and to heal.
Marge, left, and me, in Lucca, Italia
I am learning of His loving commitment to me in deeper places in my heart. He is healing my cavernous “holes” just as He healed hers. Holes like pride, selfishness, envy, unforgiveness, and control. With quiet whispers in these nights, He says, “What about this? Could you have responded differently? Anything you want to confess?” There have been many nights of hot tears on my cheeks as I recall unkind words, jealousy for ministry, jealousy for health, wanting to control my own life, for heaven’s sake. “I’m sorry,” I whisper back, with the lump of remorse in my throat. Then, I’m gripped by God’s love and forgiveness flooding in at those moments of sorrow. (Living Water for me!) More tears break way to rest; He has carefully made things right eternally and healed.
So, yes, it’s nice to be able to share the book with my family and friends, and hopefully with women in tough places around the world. So many have cheered me on in this cancer journey; it’s so much fun to share this book with them. But, my deeper excitement is in knowing I’m loved with that same safe, life-giving love of Jesus, for all eternity, as given to the woman at the well.
