Unite My Heart To Fear Your Name

Artist Statement

Psalm 86 About five years ago, my life was profoundly affected by miscarriage, infertility, and stillbirth. Through those painful years, the Lord taught me a practice that sustained my faith and deserves a richer place in the life of the church: lament. Lament is the language of people who believe what is true about God yet live under the weight of a fallen world. It is the practice of crying out to God in our suffering while continuing to cling to what is true, even when it feels distant or impossible. It gives voice to our longing as we wait for God to make all things whole. Psalm 86 captures this tension. The upper portion of this piece reflects the true character of God on which the psalmist anchors his hope, while the lower portion reflects the reality of pain as we experience it. Caught between the two, the psalmist prays, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” I drew inspiration from lace patterns to express God’s restoring work of uniting what has been divided. The flowers represent the nations who, despite their present brokenness, will one day be united in worship before God. The embroidered border surrounding the composition reminds us that God holds us in both our praise and our lament, for both belong in the life of faith. This piece was hand-carved in linoleum, hand printed on linen, and finished with hand embroidery.