“Rescue from the Old Song” ~ A Meditative Response

Amy Grimes writes her thoughts about her painting “Rescue From the Old Song”:

The old song was one of creaking limbs and cold torrents of air. It held the forest captive. The trees were bare, nothing bloomed, and all seemed dead as a snapped twig. A girl grew up in this sad, lonely place and the old song filled her heart. One day a bird flew into the forest – a simple brown bird – not much to look at. But as the bird sang, its song filled the forest like water fills an empty cup all the way to the brim, and it overflowed into the girl’s heart. And everything changed.

Imagine a forest of cold wind and dry, rustling leaves, embedded with a brooding darkness. In such a hollow place, void of hope, the pervasiveness of sorrow can so easily overwhelm our hearts. But even in the darkest of days, we know deep down that “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” [1] The light of the Word incarnate remains like an eternal flame, and no amount of wind will extinguish its glow, nor darkness prevail over it.

Because we are made in the image of God, we are also light bearers in this “captive forest” in which we live. You embody His light because “in him was life, and the life was the light of men.” [2] Bring your beautiful song, story, or smile to each day and overwhelm the shadows with His pervading luminance.

[1] John 1:5 ESV

[2] John 1:4 ESV

The featured image and painting, “Rescue From the Old Song,” is courtesy of Amy Grimes and used with her kind permission for Cultivating. It has been modified to fit the featured image size restrictions inherent to this website.

Annie Nardone

Annie Nardone is a flannel-clad, cowboy boot-shod adventurer who seldom travels with a map! Her passion is the reintegration of the arts and humanities with theology and Christian imagination. Annie holds a Masters Degree in Cultural Apologetics from HBU, is a founding member of The Society for Women of Letters, and is Managing Editor of The Cultivating Reader for Cultivating magazine. She also writes for Literary Life, and An Unexpected Journal. Annie resides in Florida with her Middle Earth-Narnia-Hogwarts-loving family, & her wild assemblage of cats.