“Work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically." ~ Romans 12:11
Born to a country preacher and an
amateur artist in 1853, the boy took the same name as his parent’s first child
who was stillborn exactly one year earlier.
As a child Vince was melancholy, quiet, and very serious.
Hoping to follow in his father’s
footsteps, he volunteered as the pastor in a poor mining village during his early
twenties. But it was his mother’s love
of sketching and watercolors that would later influence him the most.
Believing his true calling was to preach the gospel, he
tried desperately to serve the miners, adopting a pauper’s lifestyle. But after just six months, the evangelical
committee sponsoring him decided that he was unfit to be their pastor.
When his shot at ministry failed and still feeling the need
to do something meaningful, he chose to focus on art. His younger brother, an art dealer, helped
support him financially; money used for art supplies, coffee and alcohol.
At age 33, he went to live with his brother in Paris. His two years there proved pivotal, exposing him to the work of impressionists using lighter, brighter palettes and unusual brushstrokes.
Plagued by psychiatric illness throughout his life, he began
suffering increasing bouts of epilepsy, psychosis and depression. The aspiring artist checked himself into a
mental hospital in southern France.
During his yearlong hospitalization, he painted scenes of
its gardens and the nearby scenery. Several
of the more than 100 paintings produced during this period became his most
celebrated works.
Just two months after his release, he
died from a gunshot wound. Both murder and suicide
have been hotly debated since his death in 1890.
You’re undoubtedly familiar with at least some of Vincent Van Gogh’s 860 oil paintings and 1,300 sketches and watercolors. You’ve probably seen Starry Night, Bedroom in Arles, or Café Terrace at Night (above), to name a few. His finest works were produced in less than three years.
But what you might not have known is that Van Gogh sold but one
painting during his entire lifetime. In
other words, he went to the grave thinking he’d failed as an artist.
Though Van Gogh didn’t benefit from fame or fortune during
his brief 37 years, he remained committed to realizing his artistic vision;
pouring his heart and his soul onto every canvas. Over time, that commitment paid off. He’s now viewed among the greatest painters of
all time.
Few people achieve success without hard work and with
determination that would make most of us dizzy.
So, the next time you hear opportunity calling, realize the hard work
that’ll be required. As Thomas Edison
once said, “Opportunities are often missed by most people because it’s dressed
in overalls and looks like work.”
Touch me, Lord, and fill me with Your light
and hope. Give me strength me when I’m
weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I’m afraid, wisdom when I feel
foolish, and comfort when I’m alone. Amen
