When the Time is Right

When the Time is Right

There’s something really humbling about returning to old work with new eyes.

Recently, I picked up two paintings I had started years ago, back when I was still in medical school. At the time, I was on medical leave—sick, discouraged, and unsure if I would ever finish my degree. I felt like my life had completely unraveled. I was looking for meaning in every corner I could find it. And yet, no matter how many times I tried to finish those pieces, something always felt off. I layered and reworked them so many times, but I couldn’t bring them to life. They just… stalled.

Fast forward a few years. After coming to faith in Jesus, everything changed—not overnight, but steadily. Healing came. Hope returned. My life didn’t get easier, but it started to make sense in a way that was never possible before.

And then, out of nowhere, while finishing a recent portrait of my daughter Autumn in a glowing oil pastel style, something clicked.

I suddenly knew how to complete those unfinished pieces. It was like the clarity I had been begging for years ago was gently handed back to me—now that I was ready to receive it.

God’s Timing Isn’t Always Ours

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

It doesn’t say “in some things” or “in the easy things”—it says all things. Even the waiting. Even the confusion. Even the seasons when it feels like nothing is moving forward and the canvas stays blank.

I used to think I had to push my way toward clarity. That if I just tried harder, prayed more perfectly, or worked more intensely, the answers would come. But God doesn’t work on our timetable—and thank goodness for that. Because looking back, I can see that if He had answered me the way I wanted back then, I wouldn’t have been ready.

Sometimes, He holds back the “finishing strokes” until we’ve walked through enough life to truly understand what we’re painting. Sometimes He lets things stay unfinished so we can come back with new eyes, a softer heart, and a deeper trust.

Meaning in the Middle

Those two pieces now carry so much more than what I could’ve imagined when I first started them. They were born in a season of longing but finished in a season of peace. And in many ways, they represent the truth of Philippians 1:6:
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

God didn’t just help me finish those paintings. He used them to remind me that nothing is wasted. Not even the half-done things. Not even the moments that felt like failure.

He finishes what He starts—in our art, in our healing, in our calling, and in our hearts.

A Little Gift

To celebrate this redemptive full-circle moment, I’ve decided to give these two pieces away as part of a special Christmas giveaway after my fall art show wraps up this November.

They’ll be gifted to two people in December—sent as a symbol of hope, healing, and God’s perfect timing. A reminder that even the unfinished things in your life may just be waiting for the right moment to come alive.

If you'd like to be included in this giveaway or future ones, stay tuned here or join my newsletter: 

Until Then…

I’m slowly beginning a new collection now—one that feels different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve started the acrylic underpainting on the first piece and can’t wait to share more soon.

But in the meantime, I’m grateful. Grateful for the pause. Grateful for the mystery of how God works behind the scenes. And grateful to finally see the beauty in things I once thought were broken.