Recently a local business in our community held a Arts Explosion. From November through the month of February local artists were invited to display their work. The business is involved with educating the public about agriculture and has a lot of public events at its facility. During this time people were asked to look at the paintings and vote for their favorite artist.

I entered one of my paintings. A very pleasant surprise when I won runner-up in the contest.

While I am grateful to have won this honor, what really makes it special is that this is the first painting I did after returning home from emergency surgery for a brain bleed. On a Thursday I had fallen in my art gallery in the basement of my condo. I hit my head on the concrete floor. Covid-19 had just started and I was reluctant to go to the hospital. By Sunday I was having a terrible headache and realized I should seek medical help.

After a CT scan at the local hospital they rushed me by ambulance to the hospital in our state capital about 20 miles away. Emergency surgery was required and I was in ICU for several days.

The doctor told my wife that I would need long-term rehabilitation. He listed several problems I might face including difficulty in communication, in swallowing, in walking.

But God had other plans. Within a matter of a few weeks I was walking without a walker and my communication improved almost immediately.

My wife and I are Scrabble addicts and she was worried that I might not be competitive with her any more. But I’m still able to beat her butt in the game. 🙂

Just a couple of weeks after coming home my son-in-love brought my art supplies up to the dining room table as I was still a little unsure about using the stairs to my art studio. I sat down at the table and painted this picture. I was inspired for this painting by a trip my wife and I had made a few years ago to Maine.

So – while I am thankful for winning second place out of over 40 artists who competed, I am even more thankful that I am alive and in good health.

Truly, God has been good to me.