The Story of Love

The Story of Love

24X30 Oil by Impressionist Artist, Betty Slade

I painted this painting for the production of "The Gift". It is sponsored by The Music Boosters and  will be donated in a silent auction on Saturday night, October 15th, at 7:00 at the Pagosa HighSchool Theatre.

A collective group of artists will perform in poetry, music and art. I will be painting in watercolor during the reading  by Dave, the Poet, accompanied by Harvey Schwartz at the piano.

All proceeds will go to the Music Boosters for funding for future shows and instruments.

This is a joy that I can do as I have attended many of the Music Booster's productions. 

 

Make Haste, My Beloved

Song of Solomon 8:14 Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

I must go away, My Love, My spouse, but I will come again. I have spoken words of reassurance and of promise to you. I have spoken from my heart.  From my bosom My Son has declared my love to you.  My Words must be your courage now; the Words I have written upon your heart. As I dipped my brush into the color of love and painted upon your surface, this must now serve you for comfort. .

I chose you before time began, and I knew one day you would rule with me and sit upon my throne as my bride and queen. I created you for My throne, and My throne was created for you...

I am going away to prepare our home so that I may bring you back in the appointed time. You ask when will I return? It will be in the fullness of time, when time is completed and eternity will be in the heart of every painting I have painted.

Make haste, my beloved and be like a gazelle on the mountain. Remember when you came to me skipping on the mountain top and I would not leave the comfort of my wall to come to you. I had so many reason not to come away with you. I fought you but I was fighting myself.  I will be ready now. I will put away my fickled heart, my roving eye, my thirst for worldly things. I am ready to be your bride.

Be patient my dove, the one who I hid in the crevise of the rock, the one I created to be mine, to have and hold for everlasting to everlasting, from the beginning of eternity to the end of eternity. The one I wept for. I cried when you didn't understand and you turned your face from mine. My love continued to hold you in your darkest hours and the winters of your soul. It was necessary for you to bear my image upon your heart.

You will  not completely understand until I come again. Until then, be my light and love to this dark canvas  of creation. I will return, you have my word.
Come quickly, my Love

Destined to Rule

Song of Solomon 8:6, 7 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.  Many waters cannot quench love. Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.

My love has drawn you , you have become equal to my throne. I have painted my heart upon the soul of your canvas. I have set you as a seal upon my heart, I have fought for you as vehemently as a burning, raging fire. All those times you felt I was unfair, or I ask too much, I was only asking for you to wear my likeness upon  your face and become the expressed image of my love.. 

Allow Me, as your artist to enter My canvas, "I came to my own, but they would not receive Me." But I came to you, I saw your heart and I knew one day you would and could receive my love. You have learned wealth is to be utterly despised in comparison to love.


Your touch has been soft and gentle upon my soul. At times, I felt them to be angry, but they weren't, it was me who was resisting in anger.  I did not know who I was to be. I tried to be many things for many people, I tried to be that one that someone could love. I tired to change me, but I couldn't. I have fought you, I have betrayed you at times, but I have always cried out for you. And all the time, you were saying, "I understand you, my love is enough. Trust me."


As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." Psalm 17:15 Your love has drawn me

My bride, my spouse, my love, rule with me in love  Be to others what I have been  to you, so that they may see  that I am compassionate and mericiful and I have come to them. I will paint my image upon them, and they will complete my painting, just as you have..,

Dancing with the Angels

Song of Solomon 6:13 What would you see in the Shulamite - As it were, the dance of the two camps.



Dancing with the Angels

 I have fought to be loved. I have fought to dance with the Master Painter. I have learned to yeild to Him and have refused my own way.

My Love, you have the victory song within you. You have learned to dance with the unseen. You have learned to bring harmony from the creator to the creation.

You, myCanvas is almost finished. The values, the hues and the design is a perfect composition. Dance my love, dance. Dance with me as One.

The Victory Song

The heart of a willing soul

claimng her seat upon the throne.

Victory is her song

Calvary is her claim.

Death and life fought

side by side until life had won,

as a dance between armies

seen and unseen.

The struggle of life tore

apart this vessel

until the light shone

the flesh surrendered.

The Spirit claiming victory

the flesh releasing its claim.

They they danced as One.



This, My Friend

Song of Solomon 5:10,11,16

My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, and black as a raven...His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

My Friend

I asked everyone if they had seen my friend. I explained to them what he looked like. I turned him away, and now I can not sleep without him.

"What is your beloved, more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so charge us to tell you if we find you. You asked us to tell him you are lovesick.

He is the love of my life, he is more than any other or another beloved. He can not be compared. He is Love, the love I wanted and did not know how to receive.

Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with you?

This, my Friend!

The measure of a friend

cannot be marked

distance far or near, stand the same.

Words passed between two friends

need not be uttered.

A soft heart

of total acceptance binds my fears away

capturing the unconquered.

This, my friend, takes me to

the highest point of my existence

and yet brings me

to the nearness of my own heart.

An anchor to steady me,

my hope rooted in solid ground.

My beloved is altogether lovely

and this is my friend!

Wounded

Song of Solomon 5:6,7 I opened for my  beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart went out to him when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave no answer. The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

Why were they so angry with me? They struck me and took off my veil. I turned away my love, He came to me as the Man of Sorrow. Before I could reach for the door, He was gone, I looked for him and I asked others if they had seen Him, they beat me. I felt his myrrh on my fingers, the pain went to my heart.

My Dear creation, the world hates me, they will hate you. You have identified with me and those who fight their maker are convicted and mocked by your love and desperation for me.

They took off my veil. They took away my dignity, they laid me bare.

My precious one, you are beginning to feel the pain of the one who you turned away. You have agreed to receive the Man of Sorrow. This is the marking of the cross on your soul. It is not you they hate, it is Me they hate.

Wounded

So misunderstood, my hart is in despair

so alone with feelings of confusion.

Friends I expect to understand

become the wounds in my flesh.

My heart wants to run

away from scrutinizing jeers.

My love worn outwardly

bears unwanted truth to unready hearts.

The wounds in my sou,

pierced by a two-edged sword.

Cutting between my soul and spirit

only to become my weapon of truth

discerning my own thoughts and intents.

My heart stands naked and opened

to the eyes of Him

to whom I must give an account.

My wounds, too, are not hidden

from His sight.

I must some day stand judged. 

Man of Sorrow

Man of Sorrow

Song of Solomon 5:2 "I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved. He knocks, saying, 'open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.'"

How can I open to you, I have taken off my robe; how can I put in on again? Do you know what you are asking? I have washed my feet, how can I defile them?

The Master Painter responds, "You do not know what I am asking? I am going to the cross for you, I am asking you to come with me. Unless you have the mark of the cross on you, you will not know resurrected life or the power of it. I am asking to lay my head upon your bosom. Let me know you understand what I must do. I am tired and weary. I need you to understand."

You are scaring me. I don't want to know you as the suffering one, I want to know you as King. I have washed myself, I have done all the things I need to do. Come back when I am ready.

My foolish sister, it is my love that has washed you, and prepared you for the throne. Open to me, I stand at your door. My hands are filled with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, this sorrow is for you. 

My heart responded, but it was too late. I reached for the opening in the door, and I felt his pain on my finger tips, when I opened to Him, He was gone.