Artist Bryn Gillette attended each of the "Morning Watch" devotionals during session 7 led by Liz. After listening to the message, Bryn would take some time that day to draw an image in pen representing the central Bible lesson from the morning. It was Liz's desire that campers would discover more about who Jesus is and what he is like through these lessons.
Monday: Liz and Dom are represented pulling the plow with the yoke that they had imaginatively acted out in reference to Jesus' promise to come into every aspect of our lives and support us. When Liz tried to pull it alone, she couldn't, but when Dom (playing Jesus) stepped in, he could shoulder the weight on the shared yoke and easily pull the load. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matt. 11:29
Tuesday Liz shared about resting on the bottom of the ocean in California with her scuba gear when she was in her teens and was struggling with her faith, and that the Bible verses she had memorized as a child came back to her: [Psalm 139:7-8 NIV] "7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."
Wednesday several staff members joined Liz to reenact Jesus sleeping in a boat in a storm and that Jesus woke up to calm the wind and waves with his voice "They recognized it was the same voice that had spoken them into existence in the very beginning of time" (Paraphrase of the Jesus Storybook Bible). Bryn drew the five staff members from their performance into the boat in a storm.
Thursday was a picture of a house built high on a rock safely above the waves, compared to the house on the sand flattened as its foundations gave out in the storm. This is from Jesus' parable in Matt. 7 reminding us that Jesus' words are trustworthy and strong and we need to put them into practice in our lives, and Liz had shared how an earthquake in New Zealand had revealed the houses built upon sandy foundations that were destroyed.
Friday Liz shared about playing football with the band "Five Iron Frenzy" before attending their concert, and how she had tried to find her identity and worth in activities like scuba diving, rock climbing, and snowboarding rather than trust in the "Shield" of God's protection and covering. Ps. 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." The pictures shows a teenage Liz curled up in confusion between these competing sources of her identity.
Saturday morning Liz, Dom, and Bryn all gathered to retell the messages from the first five days through these images, and then Liz compared Bryn's paintbrush in the hands of a master to how God takes an ordinary person like us and makes a masterpiece through our lives. Bryn added the brush into the bottom left of the work during breakfast just before campers were picked up. Ephesians 2:10 NLT "10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
May these images help remind us what the Lord taught us in week 7 through the faithful teaching of sister Liz, and may the Holy Spirit bring the songs and the Word of God back to our hearts and minds whenever we need direction and truth! Amen. - Brother Bryn
