Faith. The Shell Dress

A Ruth by any other name would not smell as sweet.

"The life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but they do get there." ~John Piper. This painting of Faith parallels Ruth's story in the Bible. That no matter what has happened, all those shut doors, road blocks and false starts, the best will still come.

This depicts a young Native American woman wearing a wool military blanket or “trade cloth“ dress adorned with Money Cowrie shells, from the California coast. Long before any European contact, these shells were an important trade item in North America which were brought inland from the Pacific coast by Native American traders. They were rare, and had a high trade value. Thus the name “Money” Cowrie. The more cowrie shells adorned a dress, the wealthier her family was and worn with great pride.

She holds a cross carved out of Pipestone, a red rock that tells of the story of "a great flood whose swirling waters overran all the earth and its people" carrying and crushing them into a quarry until their blood turned the stone red. One beautiful maiden survived by being stranded on a high butte, possibly Wyomings Devil's Tower, where she is rescued by a giant eagle, the Sioux's most honored friend. He takes the girl to his nest and makes her his wife. Together they have twins, a boy and a girl. When the children are older, the eagle takes all three in his great talons and carries them to the Great Plains. He sets them on Mother Earth, and tells them to make a great nation. Sounds like the story of Ruth.

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ancestor of Jesus.

Genesis 16:13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Creator. Father God. Help me to see my physical body as a living temple where you live.

I know that to treat my physical body with respect, love and honor is to respect, love and honor your creation. Amen.

2 sizes AVAILABLE!

• 8"x10" Lustre Finished Photo PRINT Matted ready for  standard 11"x14" frame.   $25
• 11"x14" Lustre Finished Photo PRINT Matted ready for  standard 16"x20" frame.  $40

 White Core Bevel Cut TOP MATs personally signed by this Artist afixed to an acid free Backer Board.

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