Finishing The Race
Canvas: 36” x 36”
Date: 10/22/2022
[Not For Sale]
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
–2 Timothy 4:7 [NIV]
Driving to Prayer House Sanctuary with my canvas, paints and easel to celebrate the life of Pastor Reginald Andre Trotter, nerves hit me. But, at a stop light I pulled up behind someone with a license plate reading “BlSGNS”—which I took to mean “Believe In Signs”—a calm came over me as I got that wink from our Lord. After setting up, I stood in front of the canvas waiting for inspiration and the song “Cross Over the River” was sung with such Holy Spirit Power I saw Reggie standing on the other side of a river in a white robe getting us riled up to trust and obey Jesus. Wanting to capture Reggie’s facial features, I had a photo of him on my phone that I referenced several times, but the screen kept locking, and suddenly I sensed Jesus standing next to me with his arm around me…”just trust me…I've got you.” As we sang and cried, I felt the Holy Spirit pulse through every atom of the sanctuary that night…it was as if we were all in Heaven together and I could hear Reggie shouting “BIG Time! This is BIG Time!”
And Reggie was BIG…in heart, body and Spirit. When he preached his voice would bellow with conviction shaking your bones and your soul. His love for God was overwhelming–his face would beam with pure joy. His life was consumed with zeal for God. During the service, someone said Reggie lived to point us toward the light–to point us to Christ. So, I put clouds and beams of light streaming from the place in the sky where he was pointing, engulfing Reggie in bright golden light. It reminded me of the morning I had the pleasure to hike South Mountain with Reggie at sunrise with our mutual friend Dr. Jason Buck who had introduced us. So I added blue mountains in the background. But, after the service Reggie’s sister said, “Oh, look! That’s the water! That’s what he loved to do…to go deep sea fishing.” She proceeded to tell me how Reggie had passed away while out on the ocean. Without even knowing, I had painted him at the very moment he was finishing the race, going be with Jesus and inspiring us all to run hard like he did!
[Follow up–11/6/2022. After watching Top Gun Maverick with my son, Daniel, I pointed to the painting of Reggie, and told him about Reggie's time in the Navy and how Reggie would guide jets on and off the aircraft carrier. Then it hit me…Reggie’s arm motions in the painting mirror the ones he must have used in the Navy…so he’s signaling us to take off and fly over that water!]