Here is Porter’s plane.
Porter is my cousin born in April this year. The painting is meant to go in his vintage
airplane themed nursery. As I often like
to pair words with art, I added a statement by Helen Keller when she
commented on her experience of flying around the world at the age of 74 in
1955, “It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky, behind me and
before me is God and I have no fears.”
I can’t think of a better description of human infancy than
God behind us and before us. I love that those words were
spoken by one of the most vulnerable people of our time, unable to see, unable
to hear, but more than any of us, capable of feeling the presence of God.
So Porter, here is your plane. I’ve left it blank for a reason. I don’t know how it will look through your
life. Maybe one day a star, rank, and
your name might be painted across it. Or
perhaps it will say something like Hawaiian Air as you travel the world to
exotic places. It may just read,
Southwest as you make your way across America.
But no matter what kind of plane you fly or where it takes you, God will
always be behind you, ahead of you, and with you throughout your journey.
