MY STORY...Rebecca Hendrix...artist

An amazing journey with God...the story behind the painting and the music.

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This oil painting and it's title were inspired by this verse of scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14... a direct answer to a prayer I was putting before God.   "Are we doomed?  Is there any hope for America?  What can I do?  What can anyone do?"  Seemed like the sun was going down on America.

This scripture immediately came to my mind...and for me that was significant.  
I have often seen God answer exactly like that before - when I was really sincere and open to His answer...whatever it might be.  This was one of those prayers.
I KNEW He was challenging my faith.  It's all about believing...REALLY BELIEVING.   We had been at this place in other circumstances...and I was being reminded of His Faithfullness to His Word.  He never lies.

BUT...this was a Big one..."we're talking about the whole country, God...would you really reverse the sunset on this country?"   (I knew He could...but would He?)
This verse says 'Yes' - a Promise - with a Condition.  Don't just pray...repent, turn!

I was getting this picture in my head...TRUE BELIEVERS encircling the flag in prayer-sun on the horizon...going down.  I was reminded of Hezekiah's story...a very personal one for me.  My biggest question became - 'are there enough of us?'

 
Simultaneously I was hearing the faint sounds of drumbeats on the horizon...and then faint horns...and trumpets.  God's army...waiting for His people to pray. Then the music - 3 very familiar songs combined in a medley I'd never heard.  Woven together they created a vision of darkness on the horizon turning into slivers of light breaking through as the prayers become sincere, impassioned, and consistent.  Heaven's host of warriors come to battle the forces of evil on behalf of God's people and the sun begins to shine again on America.  But were there enough of us?

That was the summer of 2011.  I came away from that experience with two assignments...paint the painting and write the music.  I'm a pianist, but not an arranger.  I'm an artist but don't do people really...mostly birds, animals, and landscapes.  One thing I do know...if God asks you to do something, He will equip you.  AND...it's not a good idea to say 'no'. 
 

Both projects took well over a year each to complete.  The painting was first.  I spent HOURS researching people types, positions, clothing, etc., to get a representation of the variety of souls that make up our America.  As I painted, my mind was developing the arrangement of the music.  I taught my choir director the score and together we worked out the final version.  His voice is hauntingly beautiful...perfect for this project...(of course!). 

After MUCH practice - we presented it to our church...pianist and soloist...and were highly encouraged to record it. Miraculously (!) we found a professional studio only an hour away.  That project took another year.  The piano alone just wasn't reproducing what I had heard in my head, and the recording studio showed us what was available.  They allowed me full access to a very special piano...with all the orchestration I was hearing.  God is good.  I can't count the hours of recording, listening, critiquing, and going back and forth until we had it just like I heard it. I played every note on that awesome piano...and pushed all the buttons for the orchestration...with some help from Gary, the studio owner.
What a wonderful journey!

We recovered our production costs with local sales of prints and CD's for a season.  Friends and fans encouraged me to 'get it out there', and some even assisted in promoting.  That's not my area of expertise, so...I tried a few things...but nothing moved forward. To me it didn't matter about trying to sell anything.  I just wanted to share what God was doing wherever He led. 
As the next few years passed, occasionally I wondered..."what that was all about?"

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