We left the hospital as Jacob Worthey was living out his last hours on earth after a nine month battle with leukemia. I turned to my husband and said, “I am painting this, this week.” I started painting and I couldn’t stop. I have never had an experience like this before. I had my earbuds in, singing loud and out of tune, weeping with the worship music going. I felt God’s presence directing my paint brush for this memorial. The whole thing took one day. It was a total spiritual experience.
The family did not want to see this portrait until the morning of the funeral and I didn’t want anyone to see this image of Jacob until the family saw him. It an emotional unveiling for all of us. The thing I love most this portrait is the way it shows Jacob’s joy. I love his hand on his heart. He just had so much joy, even in the midst of all that suffering. Maybe this is an image of how he looked once all the suffering was gone and finally everything made sense.
Joy.
