As my favorite expositional Bible teacher often says, “the longer you walk in the will of the Lord, the less frequently you use the word ‘coincidence’”.
Since embarking on the creation of “I Wanted to Ask My Dad” in July of 2024, the divine appointments surrounding this book are too numerous to comprehend. From my husband’s and daughter-in-law’s urgings to put my testimony into book form to my writing of the narrative, God continually sent family and friends who encouraged and provided critical feedback. Everyone was always the right person, with just the right feedback, at just the right time.
Today, I am awed by the divine gift originating from a Bible study group I’d joined last Fall. I shared with Anne, one of the women from the group, that I was illustrating a book. I told Anne I needed a model, between 4 and 5 years old, who I could photograph for the illustrations. Anne, who I’d only just met, said, “My friend has a granddaughter who is 4 years old. I’ll ask her.”
Not only did this little girl’s mother agree for me to photograph her child for my illustrations, but this child’s ability to understand and feel what I was trying to capture was astounding. For one image, I needed her to pretend to look at a pair of birds, high on a branch. After two sessions in three settings and dozens of photos, I caught the light and angle I sought. Not once did this child complain or express frustration, demonstrating more patience and cooperation than most adults I know.
To enumerate all the divine appointments in the making of this book, this article would go on for pages. I often tell people my art talent seems to be the vehicle God wants me to drive. If that is so, then it can be no coincidence that to keep this vehicle moving forward, He is equipping it with everything I need.
Like the unexpected patience of a 4-year-old.
Kathleen Petitjean | Fine Art 