I often retreat to nature to watch and photograph God's creatures in their environment. The Green Heron is one of my favorite subjects because it is diverse in its appearance and changes its looks several times within a single photo shoot. The photos combined in this work are one in which it appears as if the bird is seeking help from above and one in which the bird seems confidently on a mission. The Green heron is relatable because we as humans go through a wide range of emotions and "looks" as we approach life.

I chose to superimpose photographs I have taken of a Green Heron to represent the relationship between Ephesians 6:19 and Hebrews 4:16 because the Heron is known for its persistence and the two scriptures encourage us to persist in prayer to enable us to boldly embrace our faith.

In Ephesians 6:19, Paul requests that the readers “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” The photograph shows a heron, in black and white, looking up so directly that his face is lost to the camera. This represents us as believers, relentlessly seeking God and drawing our strength and direction from Him, surrendering our very selves to His leading and trusting Him to fill us with His Spirit and guide our path and the paths of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hebrews 4:16 states “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” The Heron shown in color represents us as believers walking confidently in the access we have gained to the Father through our faith in Christ (see also Ephesians 2:18) and through our persistence in prayer. God offers grace to help us in our time of need and gives us courage to go forth as His warriors. I would like my faith to shine through in this broken world as surely as this Heron confidently strides along. As we pray to seek His will, the Lord will equip us with full armor, to give us the strength to be ready to stand firm.

Seeking the Lord in prayer consistently will prepare us to go boldly forth, confident as members of God’s family, fearlessly sharing the truth of God’s word.

All Glory goes to God.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a print of this work, please contact me at deidrestatessmith@gmail.com. Thank you.