The Painting of the Squirrel

A couple of summers ago I stayed up really late in order to finish some book illustrations. A few days a week I would work from about 8:30 pm to about 4:30 am. I like staying up late, but not THAT late and definitely not that often. I did it so that I wouldn't need to paint all day long when my girls were not in school. It would be so sad not to see them during the summer! 

This one night I was working on an illustration of Inkling the Woodland King (he's a wise red squirrel) and I was SO tired. I prayed that God would please help me somehow paint the squirrel. I said, "God, I will keep mixing paint and dipping the paint brush in and putting the paint on the canvas, but will you please paint this squirrel?" I had no feelings whatsoever while painting the squirrel. I was like a robot. No— more like a zombie. But in time the squirrel did appear, and he looked wise!

I think this is what God does. He calls us to keep doing. Keep trying. Keep hoping. And above all—keep trusting Him with whatever's before us. And, lo and behold, the squirrel appears.