Barbara from Atlanta, Georgia, came to us with a story of hardship. Her life had been marked by childhood abuse, difficult family dynamics, and failed marriages, experiences that left deep scars and made trust an ongoing struggle. Yet through it all, she sought healing and strength, gradually turning her focus away from the fallibility of people and toward God as the one constant she could rely on.

In this journey, she found herself deeply moved by Isaiah 26:3, which speaks of perfect peace for those who trust in God. She was especially drawn to the Hebrew word בָּטוּחַ (batuach), which she understood not only as "trust," but also as "security" and the feeling of being safe in the One in whom she places her trust. Wanting a small and delicate tattoo, she envisioned something she could see with her physical eyes whenever her inner eye needed to refocus, a reminder of God's truth and the peace that comes from aligning with Him, a symbol of both her healing and her decision to root her trust in God.

As we explored the verse together, we also looked at the Jewish mystical tradition of Pardes, the four levels through which scripture can be understood: Peshat (the simple meaning), Remez (the hinted meaning), Derash (interpretation and inquiry), and Sod (the mystical dimension). On the level of Sod, "perfect peace" is understood as the soul's ultimate union with the Divine. Trust becomes not merely a feeling, but a lifelong process of aligning oneself so completely with God that it gives rise to an unshakable peace.

Gabriel approached the piece through this understanding of peace. Rather than treating it as something that is simply attained, he saw it as a process of continual alignment. The delicate composition reflects both stillness and movement, expressing peace not as the absence of struggle, but as the quiet confidence that grows through trust.

For Barbara, this piece became a reminder that healing is rooted not in the certainty of life, but in the certainty of God's presence. A mark of trust, peace, and the ongoing choice to return to Him.