“A few years ago, I asked Ophelia about her 8 foot fishing boat, the one she used to go out into the ocean to she. She told me that she didn’t have the boat anymore. Because of my surprise she proceeded to tell me that her boat sank one mile from the coast when she went out fishing with Betty one day.
Ophelia thought she would never make it to land because Betty was clinging to her as she tried to swim. She had to tell Betty that she had to swim on her own, that she was not strong enough to swim for both of them. Betty let go and began to swim but Ophelia lost sight of her fairly quickly.
Ophelia started to swim but it was difficult going as the heavy clothes she wore to work to protect her from sun and mosquitoes weighed her down. She thought she had lost Betty and that she too would not make it, so she prayed to the Lord for help. Suddenly, in her own words, “The Lord lifted the land for me.” As she attempted to swim to land, she encountered a high reef (which surprised her as she knew it was very deep where she was.) She was able to rest on it and catch her breath.
Ophelia finally made it to shore having found a few reefs to rest on along the way. Once on shore, to her great relief she discovered that Betty made it to land also. Her uncompromising faith had worked again.
When Ophelia got a new boat, I brought her some life jackets; I am practical and was worried for her. But I don’t think she ever took them with her on the boat. Then she stopped going out to sea.
Study for “The Lord Lift the Land” 2017
40″ x 24″ – 102cm x 61 cm
Watercolour on canvas
