Joan's struggle

Le combat de Jeanne
9" x 12"
Acrylic on canvas
2008

Model: Melissa Joy Dennison

This painting illustrates the inner struggle Joan of Arc probably experienced before leaving Domrémy for Vaucouleurs. We see by the way she answered God's call that she was puzzled and wondered how she could accomplish such exploits as freeing her people and leading the king of France to his crown: "And me, I answered it that I was a poor girl who knew not how to ride nor lead in war." How much faith in God she must have needed to do as she was told.

Joan is immobile; life goes on around her. The fight taking place in her heart and mind is too decisive for her to partake in daily tasks. She will move along when she has chosen to obey.
The dove sitting on Joan's shoulder symbolises the Holy Spirit as he counsels her and chases her fears away.

One interesting anecdote about doves: when Joan was at the stake crying out to Jesus, an English witness who hated her began staring as if in ecstasy and said he saw a dove flying away towards France as the Maid gave up the ghost.

The concept for this picture was inspired by the model's own words about the phenomenon of struggling with God. Melissa is a young missionary who honestly seeks to please God and once came up with this reflection about the story of Jacob wrestling with God: "My God is so patient and gentle with me. So many times I've wrestled with him and he was willing to stay and take the time to wrestle instead of letting me go and giving up on me. He always stays and wrestles so gently with me as he calmly, patiently wears me out until I'm so weak and tired that I collapse in his arms."
-Melissa Joy Dennison, Wrestling with God, November 2007

The original photograph of Melissa was taken by Nikki Allebach and used with her kind permission.

About the model:
Melissa Joy Dennison was born and raised in the Philippines to missionary parents. She received Christ as her Saviour at five and very early on dreamed of "doing big things" for God when she would get older. Her teenage years were marked by a moment of pride and spiritual sliding, but she repented and later became a Bible student at Word of Life Bible Institute in Schroon Lake, New York. The two years she spent there taught her humility and total trust in a loving God. She traveled to Québec on a mission trip in April 2008, where I met her as she came to my church to present Word of Life's Mission Reality work. I had been thinking about painting a portrait of Joan of Arc for some time and was looking for the right face to come up, telling myself that I'd recognise it when I'd see it. When I saw Melissa, I soon recognised it. As she stood in front of the altar with the mission team, I noticed how she often smiled and closed her eyes while singing, betraying her honest and intense devotion. I later read some poetry and reflections she had written and realised I wasn't mistaken about the depth of her faith:
"I'm starting to become incredibly grateful for this restlessness in my heart that comes every time I start turning to something other than God to satisfy me. The restlessness is put there by God as a way of calling me, drawing me back to him."
-Melissa Joy Dennison, Restless ?, November 2007

There is something about Bible students. I'm always spiritually stimulated when I meet one. As if there was some Holy Spirit fragrance about them. I think that being bathed in Scripture and enjoying Christian fellowship all the time sanctifies them in a special way.