HOW I HAVE DEVELOPED MY SPIRITUAL GROWTH THROUGH THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
it’s been six years that I have been dealing with headaches and after a long journey and many doctors and treatments, I landed at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. My chronic headache came about suddenly after painting a large-scale mural. A day or two after finishing the mural an intense crushing headache hit me out of nowhere after laughing. The next day I was overcome with migraine-like symptoms causing me to pass out at urgent care. I was then taken to the ER and was misdiagnosed with a complex migraine, was given a migraine cocktail to numb the pain, and was told I would feel better in a few days before being sent on my way. I never got better. Literally every day for the past 6 years I was experiencing the same migraine-like headaches, intense head pressure that causes unsteadiness when I’m up walking around and living life for too long, and what I describe as a feeling of my head constantly being on the cusp of exploding at any moment from a slow build-up of brain pressure. These headaches limited my ability to function the way I used to and the way everyone deserves to by keeping me in a mental fog and bed-bound most of the time because it's the only way I was able to get some relief if any.
My time in my art studio had literally been cut out of my schedule. I tried to work and create or do anything around the house during very limited pockets of time I call low end headaches when I can function somewhat but with the constant almost rhythmic throbbing and dizziness that accompanies my headaches until I must give into it and go back to bed.
I found comfort and strength through my scripture reading, and bible study whenever I had the energy and ability to read when I had pockets of time where pain was tolerable. During this time I didn’t paint on a regular basis but during my bible studies of the fruit of the spirit, I found myself motivated and inspired to paint a collection of work based on the fruit of spirit.
The fruit of the spirit refers to a set of nine positive character traits mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Reading and studying each of these spiritual qualities gave me much strength and helped me grow especially with patience.
Today after so many treatments I was able to enjoy this Thanksgiving pain free !!!! after six years and so far be able to enjoy my weekend and getting back and busy with painting. Im so grateful to God for getting me through such a difficult season in my life through his inspired word, Im hopeful that this is a sign, a result of the many treatments, patience and deep prayer of better days to come for myself and my family and the I can get back to the work of creating art that will inspire and encourage all who come across my work. For it is for his Glory I do it. I hope to offer prints of my paintings of the fruit of the spirit soon, in the mean-time I do have stickers here Fruit of the Spirit below is my collection of the Fruit of the spirit.
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