EDEN

I’ve been dreaming about a bridge for a while now. I can’t fully explain why it keeps appearing in my dreams, but the image has stayed with me. There’s something about the idea of standing between two places, surrounded by water and greenery, with somewhere to go but no clear understanding of what waits on the other side.

That feeling became the inspiration behind Eden.

I think we all have bridges we have to cross in life. Some we choose, and others find us before we’re ready. There are seasons when everything feels uncertain, when we’re asked to let go of what we know and trust God with what we can’t yet see. We want answers, direction, and reassurance that everything will eventually make sense. But sometimes, faith means taking the next step without knowing exactly where it will lead.

What I love about the idea of a bridge is that it represents movement, but Eden itself feels still. The water moves gently through the garden, the flowers grow along its edges, and the trees seem to create a quiet shelter around the scene. In the distance, the bridge waits. Nothing feels rushed. There’s no urgency to reach the other side.

There’s just room to breathe.

I wanted this painting to feel like a place you could step into when the world feels loud. Somewhere to pause, gather your thoughts, and remember that peace doesn’t always come from having everything figured out. Sometimes, peace comes from being still long enough to remember that God is in control, even when we aren’t.

There’s a verse in Psalm 46:10 that says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” I’ve always found something comforting in those words. We’re so often focused on what we need to do next, what we need to fix, or what we need to understand that we forget we’re allowed to rest. We’re allowed to stop searching for every answer and simply trust the One who already knows the way.

To me, Eden is about that kind of rest. Not the kind that comes when every problem has been solved or every uncertainty has disappeared, but the kind of peace that can exist right in the middle of it all. The peace of knowing that even if we can’t see the other side of the bridge, we don’t have to cross it alone.

The name Eden felt fitting because of the garden itself. In Scripture, Eden represents the beauty of God’s creation and the closeness between God and humanity. When I look at this piece, I think about that longing we all carry for a place where our hearts can settle, where we can feel safe enough to let go of our worries and simply be present.

Maybe that’s why the unknown can be so difficult. We want to know what’s waiting for us because we think certainty will finally give us peace. But what if peace isn’t something we find only after we’ve crossed the bridge? What if God meets us in the middle of it, too?

We all have our own crossings. Grief, change, new beginnings, unanswered prayers, and seasons when the life ahead of us looks nothing like the one we imagined. Some bridges are crossed with confidence, and others with trembling hands. But each one gives us an opportunity to trust God in a way we couldn’t have learned without taking the step.

I’ve been thinking about that as I reflect on this painting and the dreams that inspired it. I don’t know exactly why the image of a bridge has stayed with me, and perhaps I don’t need to understand every part of it. For now, I’m choosing to appreciate the reminder: there’s beauty in the unknown, there is peace available to us in the waiting, and we don’t have to see the whole path to trust the One leading us forward.

My hope is that Eden offers a small sense of that peace to anyone who spends time with it. A reminder to slow down, take a breath, and trust that you are held even in seasons of uncertainty.

You don’t have to rush to the other side. You don’t have to have all the answers today. Sometimes, it’s enough to be still, to have faith, and to take the next step when you’re ready.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” — Isaiah 26:3

Eden is a reminder that peace isn’t always found at the destination. Sometimes, it’s found in God’s presence along the way.