Welcome to Sophie's Nature Art!

It's storming.
The cold sea with its foaming waves resembles a boiling pot.
The night is darker than usual.
Not a single glimmer of the moon can penetrate the thick cloud cover. This night has become the undoing of a proud Navy three-master. Although the sailor's crew is seaworthy, they were unable to prevent the wind and current from driving the ship further and further towards the coast, despite their best seamanship. The wind suddenly changed direction, the sails tore and the wind drove the ship mercilessly into the rugged rocks of the steep coast.

There was a lighthouse nearby that was supposed to warn the sailors and guide them into safe waters. But the officer on watch misjudged the situation. He hesitated just a moment too long to steer the ship further away from the deadly coast into safer waters. That one moment spelled the end of a proud warship.

The crew tried to pull in the sails and steer the rudder towards safety, but all their efforts were in vain. With a crash, the ship came to a sudden stop on a rock. As if from a spring, water began to gush into the hull of the sailor. The crew quickly made everything ready to abandon ship. To save their own lives, they had no choice but to lower the small dinghies into the raging water and try to use their remaining strength against the sea to reach safe land. Even these small boats could easily be thrown against rocks. This would mean the death of many on board the dinghies. They would not survive long in the icy water.

But the misfortune of the ship and its crew did not go unnoticed. An old man lived in the lighthouse with his daughter. He was the keeper of the lighthouse and made sure that the tower's light was always on. That night was no exception. The light from the lighthouse illuminated the dark night. The old man and his daughter watched the disaster of the warship in horror. But they did not remain idle. They rushed to help the shipwrecked men. Despite the waves breaking on the rocks, they were able to help the men in the boats to dock safely. In their house, the soaked men found a warming fire, food and shelter for the night.

These scenes and images had been wandering through my head for a long time. I literally had the picture in my mind's eye and really wanted to paint it. This time I wanted it to be a little more detailed than the last lighthouse picture. And I wanted to make a leap in time. The scene in the painting is based on the late 18th century. It is certainly not all true to the original. True sailing connoisseurs will notice a serious mistake in the sailing ship. But I make no claim to historical accuracy. It's all about the atmosphere.

I painted it with acrylic paint on a 50x70cm canvas.
Here is the finished work:

The meaning of the image

The picture combines tragedy and hope. On the one side, fear and mortal danger dominate. On the other side, the massive lighthouse stands as a constant, calmly emitting its light. The mighty waves and the storm that meant the end of the sailor cannot harm the lighthouse. It is built on solid ground and can shine its light far and wide.

The End of the Era - The end of an era

There are several analogies in the picture. Initially it had the working title: „The End of an Era“. At the beginning of this year, I decided to put sailing on the back burner, i.e. to stop sailing in order to put my energy and time into more important projects. This step was very difficult for me. It felt like the ship was going to smash against the rocks. The annual sailing vacation was the highlight of the year for me. It meant getting away from the worries and problems of everyday life and entering another world. It was pure relaxation and mental hygiene. But after my last sailing trip last summer, I felt the gentle call of God to hand this hobby over to Him. Until then, I had never had the heart to paint a broken ship. I wanted to express the freedom and pride of ships. But now God was slowly leading me to let go of this dream of sailing. He brought the image of the lighthouse before my eyes. Undeterred and defying all storms, it continuously sends its light out onto the vast sea to show sailors the way. God called me to give up the ship and take up service at the lighthouse. How difficult it was for me! But through the picture I realized that the ship, my ship of life, was hopelessly lost. What was the point of betting on perishable things when there was something greater and imperishable to be gained? So it was with a heavy heart that I made the decision to give up sailing (at least for this year). I canceled the trips I had already booked.

Here is a picture from my last trip to Oslo. It was my best vacation ever.

Now I hoped that God would bless this decision and support my efforts to further his work. But in the first few months of this year, the exact opposite happened. It seemed like everything I had put all my strength and energy into over the last three years was falling apart. I gave up my dream of sailing to serve the church, only to see everything there suddenly collapse like a house of cards. Oh, how dangerous it is when you bet on the wrong things in life! During this time, I had a small commission with the House on sand and rock painted. This motif has been with me ever since. It has become very engraved in my mind. The current picture also has the same core message. If you stand firm on Jesus, the rock, and build, no storm can knock you down. But if we build on people, hobbies or institutions, then we are living dangerously. We are in danger of breaking on the rocks of this world.

Through God's grace and intensive efforts, we were able to steer our small congregation back into safe waters. I am very grateful to God that we did not break up on the rocks like my ship in the picture. Instead, the crisis brought me closer to God. I had to search the Bible much more intensively and was able to (re)discover wonderful truths. Interpersonal relationships were also strengthened as a result. I also created all my stickers and buttons during this time. You often only see all the things that go wrong and don't even realize that there are so many blessings on the other side.

I have not regretted my decision to give up sailing (for the time being). It is much more fulfilling to work for the lighthouse and let the light shine.

I have therefore changed the title of the picture. It is no longer the end of an era. Rather, it is now called: „Saving the Lost“. The focus is not on what had to be given up, but on the future, on the mission. The goal and focus of my life should be to help people who are helplessly tossed to and fro by the waves of this world to find a firm footing on the rock of Jesus.

The rock and the lighthouse

There is so much more to this picture. Another lesson I have learned in the last few weeks is that you can only help others if you are stable yourself. A drowning person cannot help another drowning person. But if I have a secure hold, I can also help the other person to a secure hold. But if I lose my footing, I will be swept away with the waves. This makes it all the more important to be firmly grounded on the true rock. I do this every day by taking time for prayer and Bible study. In doing so, I connect with the true lighthouse, receive light from it and can now pass this little light on to others.

Those who do not take a clear stand in this world are swept away by the waves of society and the zeitgeist. What a comfort it is that we can find firm support and guidance in the Word of God, the good old Bible. It helps me a lot to better understand events in world politics and not to fall into fear and panic.

Where do you find yourself in the picture? What does this picture mean to you?

I hope that your ship of life will also be wrecked on the rock of Jesus and his word, that he will save you from the turmoil of this world and place your feet on the safe rock so that you too can shine a light for God. 

The light of hope

This world so urgently needs the light of hope! This hope is called Jesus. He is coming back very soon to take us home and finally bring justice. He will make everything new. This old world will pass away and God will start all over again. No more suffering, no more pain, no more death! Can you imagine that? All the injustice is over. There will be true peace that will never end.

If we trust Jesus already here in this life, we can experience this peace now. Everything can fall down around us, but if we trust in God's promises, we are safe. Because we carry the greatest treasure in our hearts. It is the joy of communion with the Creator of the universe. No human being can rob us of that. This connection with God has become more valuable to me than anything else. How I wish that everyone could get to know this loving, gentle and strong being. Nothing in the world is more fulfilling than daily communion with God and serving Him!

Have you already experienced this?

If yes, keep at it! If no, then ask God to reveal himself to you. Give him control of your WHOLE life and you will experience amazing things!

Talk to God in prayer every day. Talk to him about your deepest heart's desires. Take time to listen to him by reading his word. Ask him to show you what he wants to say to you through the Bible passage you have read. Dwell on the Bible passage until you have understood it. Compare the passage you have read with other verses in the Bible that talk about the same topic (a concordance or keyword search e.g. at bibelserver.com are helpful). It is also advisable to make a note of your findings. This helps you to sort them out and remember them better.

This way you are prepared for any storm and can let your light shine, no matter what may come in this world!

On the link below, you can see the picture again in the video with all the details!