Basking Dream Devotional

Basking Dream Devotional

I grew up as a daughter of a Florida girl. My summers escaped the cold weather of the Midwest and were filled with sunshine and beach barbeques. And being a midwestern girl myself, I spent more time outside fishing, hiking, and swimming in the lake than I did inside. 


I loved just laying in the grass soaking up the sun and chatting with my best friend. Later on in life I would discover that my body, in a sense, is allergic to the sun. My body is extra sensitive to  UV radiation and when I spend too much time out in the sun it makes my body weaker and could send my body into an autoimmune flare. Pretty crazy, right! The thing I loved as a child could have killed me. I guess too much of a good thing can be bad, right?


This experience has made me reflect on the things I thought I knew as a child and the discoveries I’ve earned in adulthood. Knowledge is the pursuit of understanding but wisdom is the application that is earned through hardship and experience. It’s like when a child is frustrated at correction and says, “I know, Mom!” The pride we have as a child in our own understanding makes me realize how I can misunderstand the life God has planned for me.


It’s easy to feel like I have all the answers to my own life. So many times I thought I knew the path, the plan, what was right for me. But what I should have been asking is “How does this decision affect showing love and light to others?” It can be so easy to get caught up in what can be rather than what is happening in the here-and-now. Selfish ambitions can quickly turn into the pursuit of greed, fame, and the need to be recognized as worth. 


But our worth, our recognition, and our provision never waivers in our Father’s eyes. God sees us. He loves us. He plans good things for us. We don’t need greed because God gives us provision. We don’t need fame because God gives us holy appointment. We don’t need our worth proven by the world because God sees all of us and chooses us every moment of every day. And while the world is a dark and scary place because of the privilege of free-will, it is also a beautiful place filled with incredible people and wonders that emulate the light and love of Christ.


This painting is not about basking in the sun but basking in the Son. It’s about rejecting the things of this earth and finding fulfillment in all that a life of Jesus can provide. So next time you are suck with a difficult decision, feel like life is empty, do not see your beauty, or are scared about the things to come, remember that God is on your team. He is a loving, caring, father not filled with pride, resentment, or selfishness. Instead, he is meek but powerful, kind but just, and both strong and loving.

Matthew 17:1-7 New Century Version (NCV)

“Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, up on a high mountain by themselves. While they watched, Jesus' appearance was changed; His face became bright like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

Thank you for allowing me to share my story and my art with you. It is a privilege to be on this journey with you. I hope this painting brings joy and light into your life reminding you that God is always there and always caring for you.

Wishing you a wonderful faith-filled week,


Kayla

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