This artwork and it's accompanying caption were created by Meranda Brodowski, a student artist and designer at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Meranda is from California, and has worked at the Maxwell Institute since January. She is a Fine Arts Major at Brigham Young University, with an emphasis in technology. She strives to create inspiring artwork that represents her faith and testimony.
Titled: Thanksgiving
A few years ago, I started my service as a missionary in Ogden, Utah. I knew I was where God wanted me to be, but in all honesty, I did not want to be there. I tried, but I was not doing well, and two weeks into my mission on Christmas Eve, I hit a wall. I was so depressed and scared that I couldn’t eat or get out of bed. That same day, one of our bishops stopped by to give me and my companion a Christmas present. I remember my companion slowly coming into the room and setting the gift beside my bed. I reached over to open it hoping it might distract me from how I was feeling for just a minute. I unwrapped a small book, and a note slipped out. The note was from the bishop, explaining that he had felt prompted to give me this book. He noticed how much I had been struggling and hoped the book would help reassure me of the work that I was doing, and how much I was needed there. My puffy red eyes started to cry for the fifth time that day, but this time it was out of gratitude– not sadness.
That book did help, it changed the way I thought about myself. It taught me that the Lord is able to do great things in our lives. It refers to the biblical story of the loaves and fishes, where the Savior multiplies the food beyond what is needed to feed five thousand people. Now, imagine how much the Lord can do with a single life. This story has come to mean so much more to me after this experience I had as a missionary, and it is what I think about at Thanksgiving now. I am grateful for what Christ has done to multiply everything I have given him, no matter how small. He has done more with my life than I could have imagined for myself.
This simple artwork is a nod to the ideas of gratitude shared between Thanksgiving, and the story of the loaves and fishes that I have come to appreciate. Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year. Similarly, the story of the loaves and fishes highlights Christ’s ability to multiply and consecrate what we have. It is my prayer that every Thanksgiving is a reminder to express true gratitude for all that Christ has blessed us with.
Please visit www.merandaart.com to view additional work and artist information.