A few years ago I took three
guys doing the later stages of a Salvo recovery program on a camping and
fishing trip all the way up to the Sandon River which is up near Grafton on the
northern NSW coast.
We didn’t catch many fish, but
we had a great week together and built lasting and trusted friendships.
On our return to Sydney I was
able to secure a three bedroom house for two of
these guys to rent and visited them frequently over the following
months. Both Anthony and Mick were in
the early stages of recovery and after leaving the security and structure of rehab
they were at risk of relapse and they both needed to secure new networks of
sober friends and find ways to fill their days with either part time work or
volunteering.
Mick is a Wiradjuri man from
the Narrungdera Clan in Southern NSW and it turns out he is a skilled painter
and does fabulous dot art in the traditional way. Mick really needed to be busy and to find an
income and so as we chatted about this I discovered that if he had some paints
and canvasses he could sell paintings at local markets and start making some
money. So I organized some equipment and
asked Mick to paint me something as I had always wanted to have some indigenous
art and I was happy to be his first customer.
He painted me this amazing dot
picture and not only was it beautiful and rich with colors and design, it told
the story of my life so far. Mick knew
me well enough to speak into my life in a profound way.
The picture came in three
columns or sections.
The first depicted me, or at
least depicted my butt, sitting alone by a fire surrounded by weapons. This is a season of discovering my identity
and finding my way in the world as a single man.
The second section depicted
me, the lovely Sue and my two daughters sitting around a fire. I was looking away from the fire while the
rest of my family was facing the fire, which represents me looking out for
danger and protecting my family. There
is also a Cross in this segment indicating my commitment to the Christian
faith.
In the third segment there are
only two people sitting at the fire. The
lovely Sue and me and again I am looking away from the fire, while she is
looking at it. This is a season where I
continue to look out for my wife’s wellbeing but in this segment there are
these wavy things and these depict the mysterious maturing of faith into deeper
spiritual insights. The gaining and
nurturing of mature wisdom.
I was absolutely blown away to
receive this painting and will always treasure it.
There is something special
about this art for me as it draws on the rich traditions of Micks ancestry and
the wisdom and love of his people over thousands of years. It connected me to myself and to Mick and his
people in a powerful way. I often find
myself grateful for the wonderful seasons of my life, being young man and
grasping the opportunities given to me, becoming a husband and father and
finding my way in this world as a Salvo officer and Christian.
I am also aware of the
responsibility I have in this current season as an older man to have the
courage to go deeper into what it means to be a person of faith and how to
genuinely love and serve well, drawing on the experiences of the years and the
inner wisdom that comes from a sincere and consistent search for the meanings
of my life.
Mick and I have drifted apart
over the last year or so and I have not had contact for a while, but the
lasting beauty of his gift to me continues to have an impact in my life, and I
am really grateful.
Bless ya,
Bryce
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