This past Wednesday being Ash Wednesday inpired an idea. Ash Wednesday, for those who don’t know, marks the first day of Lent, which is a period of repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. I wanted each of my subjects to chose a word that represented where they were spiritually in their relationship with God. The word could be a noun or a verb, everyone really had free reign. That word would be written on their forehead in ashes and an image would be captured. I asked people to be raw and real with the words that they decided would be their Ash Word. I felt that with the right lighting and emotion this project could be a really powerful presentation of the connection between a word and the season one finds himself in their walk with God. As important as the image, is the description of why each indivudual chose the word that he or she did- which is below each image. I am really excited about how this turned out and I think that I want to turn it into an even bigger project and create a coffee table book with many more subjects. I hope this inspires you as much as it inspired me.
HEATHER. [HIS] “I was purchased with a price. I am a voluntary lover of Jesus; He alone dictates my Life. I am His and He is mine.
ELISHA. [EVOLVING] “I am constantly evolving in my faith and yearning to learn more. I suppose I am searching for the Truth as I evolve.”
SARAH. [RENEWED] “I haven’t always given Him (GOD) my all and have recently realized this. He is deserving of everything, every ounce, my ALL, so I am renewed….renewed by His endless and forgiving love.”
SHERI. ME. [MERCY] “I am astounded and humbled by God’s mercy. His mercy has broken me, stripped me, and exposed me. Because of his mercy, he continues to mold me and shape me to be who he intends me to be. Because of his mercy he refuses to give up on me even when I continue to stumble. I am so thankful for MERCY.”
ROSS. [PURSUIT] “I know God requires constant pursuit, as he is pursuing me.”
JENNY. [VITAL] “My relationship with Christ is vital. It is required to live, to care, and to love. It is vital to keep me alive. The forgiveness, mercy, and grace provided me is vital to my survival and my life everlasting. “
JASON. [CHOSEN] “We were created by Him and are sustained by Him. He is the beginning and the end. To think we have anything to do with our salvation is absurd. To do so is stating we have a position similar to His. The reality is He has called us to Him and we are chosen.”
MEGAN. [ALIVE]“Growing up, you go to church and you read the bible verses and say your prayers! As you get older you begin to learn what it all resembles and shape what HE means to you! I believed in HIM and in the power of prayer, but HE wasn’t ALIVE IN MY HEART until about two years ago….. for me the TRUE relationship with HIM…. is that HE is now ALIVE in my heart and I now FEEL HIM walking with me everyday, everywhere! Its the best feeling HIM ALIVE IN MY HEART ”
ROWE. [SUSTAINED] “Lately I have gone from the top of the mountain to the lowest of valleys. There have been days where I have felt like giving up, but though it all, God has sustained us. He is the ULTIMATE SUSTAINER whe we feel like giving up and we can’t go on.”
BECKI. [STRECHED] “God has not allowed me to be “stuck” spiritually or emotionally. He has stretched me. The past 18 months have not been what I would have planned, but God has been there every step of the way, even when thing have not “felt” good. However, every time i feel like I can’t endure anymore God reminds me that it is all ultimately for His Glory, Name and Renown. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. His is perfecting me through pain and fear.”
ANGI. [SECURE] “At first I didn’t know for sure if God was real. I have always believed in him but was never for sure until I had my son Mario. He was born lifeless for more then five minutes. I prayed and so did thousands of people- and then God brought him back to life to me. I knew then that he is real. He could have taken him, but he knew that I needed him in my life. I thank God every day that I have my son. He is my life. I am now secure that he is real. “
[BLESSED] “I feel blessed in so many areas of my life and only God is to thank. My husband is returning home safely from a deployment in Afghanistan. I have family that support me in everything I do, and God has provided for my husband and I financially. I am blessed!”
ALEX. [RECLAIMED] “Before picking “reclaimed” as the word describing my current spiritual state, I struggled with several that sounded good, but didn’t fully hit the mark. “Broken” is always a good one, because I have a sneaking suspicion that if you don’t feel a little bit of that beautifully broken state in the presence of God, you’re probably doing something wrong. “Becoming” was another top choice because it captured the constant journey I’m on instead of a static destination (and as a bonus it has the double meaning of “beautiful”).
When it comes down to it, however, it’s not about where I am but who I am to Him. I ran away from God for a long while and unwittingly lived out a slow death. Over the past year, through a miraculous chain of events I have been transformed and rescued. I have been marked again as His and redeemed. While I’m still growing and maturing into my new role, my place as his reclaimed prodigal daughter is the most important and defining feature of my spiritual state.”
Leave a reply