July 27, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, July 27.
On this day, in the year 1890, my favorite painter made the fateful and tragic decision to take his own life. The life of Vincent Van Gogh had been a sad one, a troubled one. But during his short 37 years he had still managed to produce over 2000 paintings. How many did he sell? One. Only one. In 2017, one of those paintings sold at auction for 81 million dollars. Van Gogh’s most famous work, “Starry Night”, is hanging today in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. I had the memorable opportunity to see it a few years ago. It will never be sold at auction, but if it was, art dealers estimate it could bring more than a billion dollars.
The term “starving artist” is a cliche because it is so often true - talented, gifted people who are unable to support themselves with their art, who live their lives unknown, unsung, and unvalued. Emily Dickinson is now considered one of America’s greatest poets. But in her lifetime she only published ten poems. Albert Einstein called Galileo “the Father of Science”, but Galileo spent the last ten years of his life in prison because of his controversial views. And Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, thought by many to be the greatest composer in history, died a pauper and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Talent is sometimes unappreciated. Good work often goes unnoticed. Life isn’t always fair. And maybe we experience times when we feel unknown, unsung, and unvalued. The Apostle Paul certainly must have faced feelings like these. He was constantly followed by false teachers who tried to damage his reputation. He was hounded by his own people, the Jews, for his missionary work. And he was persecuted, and eventually executed, by the Roman Empire for standing up for Christ.
Here’s what Paul says to us today - “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance of your reward.” Colossians 3:23.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
