Our house is made up of jumbled bits of nice things. Most of it was given, lent, gifted to us or bought from the charity shop when my husband worked behind it so got discount on already cheap things! I love my house and am so grateful that we were able to make it ‘us’ by the kindness of others. There is one item in our house though which we paid for.

When we went on holiday to Cornwall, we saw many different artists and lovely pieces of art. Walking around St Ives there was one painting which caught my eye..over&over I would see it & something in me would leap. One time we walked passed it my husband commented that he had kept looking at this same painting & something about it he just loved.

So we decided to speak to the artist, bargain down the price and buy it. We did it! We bought this gorgeous canvas and I couldn’t believe it! (It was less that £100 but for us it was a huge purchase!) We packed it in the car and all I could think about was where we could hang it in our house!

It now hangs proudly over our table. As for me it somehow represented God, I’ve always loved Aslan and something about this majestic and powerful yet beautiful face made me feel like it meant something! It helped me see God. So it is head of our table.

One day as I stood looking at it hanging on my wall I felt God tell me to give it away. I felt all kinds of anger build up in me. This is the only thing we have properly loved and bought for our house! It means so much to me. Why would He tell me to give it away!!? Yet I knew He was seeing if I would, He wants nothing to be more precious than Him & His desires.

So I sat & asked who he’d like me to give it to, I just waited but felt Him say just be willing & at some point it’ll be clear. ‘Hold things with an open hand.’ That’s the key, and helped at the time also with work and other things that were happening, no matter how precious it is to you..hold it with an open hand.


At that time I had no idea of the journey we would go on to have our little lion (my, now 10month old, beauty boy). Looking at the painting now I feel like maybe He was letting us into a secret by us both loving this Lion painting..without us even knowing He was hinting that we would have a Lion..who knows!

What I do know is that He is using it again to say that now my most precious thing is not something bought, but a gift given. This little boy who I could eat all up. Yet even him I have to hold with an open hand. I have to Trust my God to hold him and know that He has the best for Him. In every hard decision as we continue to have, I am not to grab and be tight with Him. I am to open my hands and let God hold him. As He grows I’m sure this will be reinforced over and over.

That nothing is mine, all is Gods and so I’m best to Hold on lightly in order to see all that God will do. He is more than capable and He holds it all tightly in hands far bigger and stronger than mine. I know that one day I’ll give that painting away, knowing that means I actually enjoy it all the more while I have it. There is a freedom that comes when we open our hands..