At the August student retreat workshop “Harmonious Pastel” held by CCST Vancouver, we reflected on the passage in Mark where Jesus calms the storm, and we engaged in a conversation with Christ. We learned to apply pastel colors using our hands.

Having gone through several life storms in the past few years, I chose deep crimson and dark green. I felt compelled to use jade white, as the base color had to be light, and started drawing circles on the paper. I noticed my breathing slow down. Then, I applied some crimson red, swirling it around the jade white center. Then, I used dark green, moving back and forth across the page. Stepping back, I listened and asked the Lord, “Am I still in the storm?” My heart felt calm. I asked myself who is on my boat? It turned out to be my husband, Jinlun, and my daughter, but each of us was on our own boat, and we moved forward together. I used different colors to represent each of us and drawed a line for each of us. When I looked at the picture again, I noticed something that was out of my expectation, the crimson red that represents the sun and in its brilliant red glow, dominated much of the picture. Though we were still in the depths of the sea, the Lord’s presence was so real and near!

In the workshop, I experienced His peace and stillness, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit and responding with my spirit. I would like to thank Teacher Jeannie and the Dean for their arrangements.