My father's abstract painting that I chose for this book cover inspired the following analogies and insights about life.
At birth, in some ways, each of us starts life like an artist standing before a blank canvas, board or sheet of paper. For the duration of our earthly existence, we'll be creating a picture of our life which will also leave an imprint on those around us. Initially, it won't be clear what the picture is going to be - the design and images will continue to emerge as time goes on.
Symbolically, the picture may be formed with different media for a two-dimensional piece of art. Or, it may become a three-dimensional collage, mosaic, vase or a statue. Indeed we are all artists, but instead of the canvas and paint or other materials, the media of life are our bodies, minds and spirits creating our experiences and fashioning our lives. Though we all have common human experiences, each of us is also unique. In addition, everyone has both special gifts and certain liabilities, as well as a different style. As a result, every person will create a reality unlike anyone who has ever lived or will live.
A hidden and mysterious dimension to the art piece of our life is that of the transcendent Divine -- a guiding Hand working behind the scenes, though often unperceivably. While we have free will and choose our paths, which in turn lead to certain outcomes, at times we are guided into situations that shape the course of our lives in ways that we would have never expected or selected.
Some compare life to a divinely woven tapestry, that from below (our human perspective) looks like a tangled mess, but from the top (divine perspective) is a stunning design of awesome beauty - which while in our physical existence we can't perceive because of our limited senses. Ultimately, in God's perfect plan, whatever happens in this life will be for the good of ourselves and all others, even though it may not appear so at the time.
The cover painting also conveys to me the idea of life as a series of experiences, coming in various shapes and colours. For example, the browns and blacks might be difficult or traumatic experiences; the bright colours positive or edifying experiences; and the whites and yellows highs and special insights. Some of life's events may be both challenging and enlightening, as seen by the light and dark colours side by side. The yellow background could portray "blank spaces" yet to be filled before our life ends.
My father's painting, then, symbolically portrays what this book is about - it consists of several patches from the mosaic of my life with reflections on the wisdom and/or spiritual insights that have been gleaned from the various incidents. The book has two parts - Wisdom from Life and Spiritual Analogies from Life.
The experiences in the first part of the book, Wisdom from Life, each include a challenge or a question, and then suggest scriptural principles for how to effectively deal with such a situation. No "best way" or "the way" is given as each person and their circumstances are different. However, the wisdom may be helpful when one is faced with similar dilemmas of life.
The second part, Spiritual Analogies from Life, consists of stories, followed by biblical analogies and metaphors with the intent of providing glimpses into spiritual realities. All names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.
For those who desire to learn more about the biblical teachings behind the conclusions, footnotes provide scriptural references.
