Saturday, October 16, 2010

Empty Frames

I have a penchant for vintage things. I am drawn to them - books, accessories, paintings, and so on. I read inscriptions in old books and wonder what that person was like, or who painted this picture (and why was it discarded)?

I have had this empty, old frame forever. It is painted gold and has beautiful carvings adorning it that have been chipped by age and carelessness. One of the corners is no longer flush.




But, I simply love it. It hangs over an old white cupboard that incidentally has chipped paint as well. My husband and boys don't understand why I have had an empty frame up for years; they think it is extremely weird.

In all actuality, it reminds me of hope. No doubt it once displayed a magnificent painting, but that was a different season. It now waits and hopes to be purposed again.
In some ways, I feel like I have been stripped of the magnificent, soul-bare and I am, too, waiting.

Another one of my favorite pieces is just a small painting with an interesting frame.


When I look at this painting, I see grace. You see, the picture is far too small for this frame. But, instead of leaving it empty, the craftsman built it up, creating an inner green mat and gold molding before the beige fabric. He took something unworkable and made it beautiful. This is what God does for us. I adore that there is one lone flower that is out of the vase with its dropped petals lying next to it. There is beauty in giving up and surrendering to something greater than you can imagine (sometimes I need to be reminded of this).

The last one is a sweet painting by 'Ellen' (and again I wonder who she is). This picture reminds me of joy. It is happy. Paint dances upon canvas (you can feel the daisy petals) and it is perfect in its imperfection (because nothing here is perfect).

So, tonight I took the picture that reminds me of joy and placed it inside the empty frame of hope.


It may seem silly, but while I am waiting, I need this visual representation of joy within hope, covered by grace. I need to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).

Without Jesus, we are all just empty frames...

Linking up with Emily and imperfect prose on Thursdays... http://canvaschild.blogspot.com/

5 comments:

Alicia said...

I love it, Jade!

Brian Miller said...

nice. i like the astetics...and the symbolism of joy in hope....big smiles.

Mommy Emily said...

oh jadie, this is exquisite. absolutely. i also have a gold frame which i painted black, and it hangs on my wall between two other paintings... just a frame. and now you've given me reason for hanging it, and meaning in the emptiness. thank you, sweet one.

Kara said...

i love this. the empty frame is hope.....

lovely!

life or something like it said...

I also look at old things and wonder at who the people are, or what the thing meant to someone. I love how you have taken something that most people would get rid of and use it as a reminder for hope and joy.
:)