12 Days of Advent in Art: #1: Refiner's Fire

Refiner's Fire, 22 x 30 original watercolor, framed under museum glass. Not for sale.

But who may abide the day of his coming?
And who shall stand when he appeareth?
​For he is like a refiner's fire...

--Malachi 3:2

This was an old blacksmith we watched working his trade in Nauvoo, IL. I loved seeing the scorching flames burst up as he calmly reshaped the metal. There are days when we feel the flames of the refiner's fire licking up around us. They can be a little painful, but it's who important to trust the process and the vision of this creator. Hopefully we are experiencing enough refining in the here and now that we will be able to stand when he appears again someday.