CHAPTER 4
The Mercy of Rain
May 2024 | Paintings 27-29 in My 100 Dresses
The Inspiration
I always saw rain as a symbol of grief, as if the earth herself were crying. What I've come to see now is rain is actually a sign that growth is happening. Muddy, unseen, deep within-the-ground kind of growth. It's when the rose bush pauses her blooms above to focus on her roots below.
Our growth is like this, too; some seasons are filled with sunny days and flowers, and some are filled with rain and tears and putting one foot in front of the other. And although we would never choose the storm, I've come to see the mercy of rain is that it's in the downpour, the softening of our hearts, and the digging down deep within our souls that beautiful things begin to grow—a spark of new life emerging from the darkness.
Like a parched land after a season of drought, it's time to let the waters settle in my soul.
- Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
Painting 27
"Without Tears"
The Poem
Tears are like rain.
Sometimes they come
raging and thunderous,
sometimes they come
gentle and soft.
But either way,
without tears,
we would never
grow anything beautiful.
— Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
Painting 28
"Settle into the Rain"
The Poem
There is mercy in the letting down,
the letting go,
in the falling of our tears
as we succumb to the truth
that we cannot always carry all that we must hold.
And when this happens,
we look to the willow tree,
who when her arms become too heavy,
willingly settles into the rain.
For she knows
if her branches are to grow stronger,
her roots must first grow deeper,
and therefore
welcomes
the gentle watering of the soul.
— Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
Painting 29
"The First Breath After the Storm"
The Poem
It’s that first breath after the storm;
clean
full
heavy
freeing.
The air holds the stories
of both
the remnants of wreckage
and the triumph of dawn.
And amidst it all,
there is a gentle mist,
a hum of new blooms
has emerged,
living proof that
growth can indeed happen
under the cover of darkness.
— Andrea Jacobsen Poetry
A note from the Artist
Thank you for taking the time to experience Chapter 4, The Mercy of Rain. This collection was inspired by my own experience of burning out on a larger stage and the tender mercy I found while growing back within the ashes. I know all too well the temptation to give up when life becomes too heavy, and my hope with this work is it will act as a lighthouse to those who find themselves in the middle of a storm. Sometimes, a simple glimmer of hope can remind us that goodness can indeed grow under the cover of darkness.
- Andrea Jacobsen