"Shall Give Thee Experience"

What do you think?

So, a month ago was the deadline for the art competition hosted by the Church's history museum.  I was working on a painting to enter and barely finished in time to be an official entry (I always seem to be working up to the last minute on things).  As of yet I haven't heard anything back, but that's not so important to me.  Mostly I painted to portray a feeling and a lesson I am learning through life, and especially now.  The picture is of towering Giant Sequoia trees with the evidences of fire below.  However, at bottom center is a tiny sapling beginning to grow.  For anyone unfamiliar with Redwood trees, they are serotinous which means their seeds open only under intense heat.  Generally this means fire.  This is a handy survival technique because once the fire has destroyed the surrounding competition it leaves plenty of room and fertile soil for the new trees to grow.  I love the symbolism here because our lives are the same way.  Sometimes Heavenly Father teaches us and prepares us to grow through very difficult, very fiery experiences.  But through it all, His merciful hand is always extended and sees us through.  And because of Him we grow to become more than we ever imagined.