“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” -Isaiah 63:3
When I visited the Garden of Gethsemane, I was delighted to discover that poppies have grown there natively for centuries. I saw them as a symbol of the blood that was spilt there on my behalf, but I also recognized them as beauty that can come from ashes. Through Jesus Christ we can find beauty and blossoms even after suffering.
6" x 8" oil on panel