Faith in the Flow of Daily Life: How a “Walking on Water” Artwork Lives Inside a Home

Where Faith Is Actually Seen

Homes reveal priorities not through declarations, but through placement. What is given space along the main circulation paths of a house is what is meant to endure. In Christian homes, sacred art often struggles with this distinction. Too often it is treated as accent, relegated to a quiet corner rather than woven into daily life.

One of the most widely shared contemporary examples of doing it differently comes from fashion and lifestyle influencer Rachel Parcell. Years before public faith became commonplace on social media, Parcell installed a large Walking on Water artwork in the most unavoidable part of her home, a grand hallway leading directly into her kitchen and living space. It was not decorative. It was directional.

The image was scaled to command attention. Parcell selected a 40 x 60 inch wrapped canvas and custom-framed it locally in a thin gold floater frame. The frame choice mattered. It signaled reverence without excess, allowing the image to feel architectural rather than styled. Anyone moving through the home encountered it naturally, repeatedly, without ceremony.

A Risk That Aged Into Permanence

When Parcell first shared the piece publicly in 2015, the gesture carried weight. At the time, fashion and style influencers were not regularly showcasing explicit faith content. The image was not ironic or aestheticized. It was direct.

Artist Mark Mabry recalls being surprised by her call. “When Rach called me about posting this piece on her Instagram account, I was a little taken back. In 2015, fashion and style influencers weren’t necessarily showcasing their faith in Jesus. It was a bold move by Rach. Now everybody posts about everything, so it’s not unique, but it’s not lost on me what a ‘risk’ Rach took by putting her faith on display.”

What is striking in retrospect is how little the installation changed as trends shifted. The artwork remained in place as Parcell’s family grew and her public presence expanded. Over time, the hallway became a witness space. Easter celebrations, baptisms, seasons of grief, and moments of joy were all marked in front of the same image.

Parcell has spoken openly about why that consistency mattered to her family. “One of my favorite pieces in my entire home is this artwork by Reflections of Christ. I purchased this piece for my home before Isla Rose was born and I still cherish it to this day. I love that my littles walk past it every single day. I am trying to teach them to have Christ be at the center of their lives and having this image in the center of our home has been so special and helpful in teaching them that message.”

Designing for Repetition, Not Performance

From a design perspective, the success of the installation lies in repetition. The artwork is not encountered during a curated moment. It is encountered while carrying groceries, rushing to school, moving between rooms. Over years, that repetition builds familiarity. Meaning settles in quietly.

This approach offers a useful framework for Christian home decor more broadly. Rather than asking where a piece will look best, the more enduring question is where it will be seen most often. Hallways, entry points, and transitional spaces often outperform formal rooms when the goal is lived meaning.

Scale and framing do the rest. Larger works resist becoming background noise. Restrained frames allow the image to carry the emotional weight without competing elements. The result is not a styled vignette, but a visual anchor.

Faith That Lives Where Life Happens

The lasting impression of Parcell’s installation is not aesthetic, but atmospheric. The artwork does not dominate the home. It steadies it. By placing faith within the daily flow of life, the image becomes part of memory formation rather than decoration.

It is a reminder that sacred space is less about rooms set apart and more about intention applied to ordinary movement. When faith is placed in the path of daily living, it does not need explanation. It becomes understood.