This is a painting that I made of a little girl called Melissa. She is the only grandchild of friends of mine and is named after their third daughter who got raped and killed here in town during her high school years by someone she was witnessing to, more than thirteen years ago. They forgave the murderer. I was asked to translate into Afrikaans the letter of forgiveness that they sent to him in prison.
Melissa (the grandchild) was born with a very serious heart defect. The valves in her heart worked the wrong way. Lots of prayer went up for her. After several operations she not only survived, but grew up into a bubbly, joyful ball of energy - a testimony to God’s grace and goodness.
I was having tea with some friends one day a couple of years ago at a little coffee shop, when the proud grandmother, who always kept us informed of Melissa’s progress (because of all the prayer that went up for her), took a couple of photo’s of Melissa out of her handbag and showed them around. When I saw this one, I asked her for it, because I knew I had to paint it.
When I look at her face, it reminds me to look at life through the eyes of a child. And it reminds me of God’s goodness.
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
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Some of my other paintings can be seen on www.SouthAfricanArtists.com/Home/ErnaWade
Melissa (the grandchild) was born with a very serious heart defect. The valves in her heart worked the wrong way. Lots of prayer went up for her. After several operations she not only survived, but grew up into a bubbly, joyful ball of energy - a testimony to God’s grace and goodness.
I was having tea with some friends one day a couple of years ago at a little coffee shop, when the proud grandmother, who always kept us informed of Melissa’s progress (because of all the prayer that went up for her), took a couple of photo’s of Melissa out of her handbag and showed them around. When I saw this one, I asked her for it, because I knew I had to paint it.
When I look at her face, it reminds me to look at life through the eyes of a child. And it reminds me of God’s goodness.
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
*************************************************************************************************
Some of my other paintings can be seen on www.SouthAfricanArtists.com/Home/ErnaWade
