My husband and I have had the privilege of being part of this artful ministry.  The following is one part of it's history.

In November 2001, my husband and I had moved to a larger home.  One wall had salmon-colored wallpaper and we had difficulty finding any decoration that would compliment it.  A neutral-toned picture of a landscape?  No, not quite right.  An all-white holiday wreath?  No, that was only seasonal.  Then I thought about the picture of Jesus my brother had drawn when he was thirteen.  Yes!  So, I called him and asked if, by any chance, he still had the drawing.  He said he would look.

The original was drawn on 8 1/2" x 11" typewriting paper (no computers or printers around at that time) and would probably be tattered and faded by now, but it would be just right.  The look in Jesus' eyes that I remembered seemed to me to be piercing and yet loving.  And the verse Darryl had added, John 10:10 . . . Jesus had come to give us life abundantly.  Yes, it would be just right.

Unbeknownst to me, Darryl had been given a vision to draw again and right before Christmas, he showed me three drawings, one being the recreation of the picture of Jesus he'd drawn so long ago.  I couldn't help but cry.  They were 18" x 24" and all of them were beautiful!  Psalm 121, so moving.  Vashti, so very intricate.  And oh, Jesus' eyes!  It was the very same look, the very same expression as Darryl had drawn it when he was 13 years old!  Those eyes were captivating.  With that drawing I took my time looking back at my God who loves me.  Finally, I turned from that to explore the rich detail of Vashti and then to immerse myself in the sustaining promises of Psalm 121.  It was so incredible!  After 25 years of school and work and raising a family, my brother's talent was being used again in this deeply moving way.

I had been on my way to work at the hospital that night and asked if I could bring them in to share with my co-workers.  From the first moments that people saw them and were drawn close to see all the intricate details, these pictures have provided many opportunities to share our history and faith.  There was never any difficulty or hesitation in talking about God.  These drawings prompted interest and discussion, and then, often intimate and heartfelt, honest conversation about God and beliefs.  It was truly moving.

The vision had moved Darryl to begin drawing again after many years and we've seen God's hand upon these drawings since that night.  He asked his mother-in-law what her favorite Bible verse was and "Psalm 121" came to be.  He asked his sister-in-law what her favorite Bible story was and the drawing "Vashti", from the book of Esther, came next.  These and some others were based on the style of smaller etchings from the 17th century artist Gustav Dore.

When these drawings were shared with my co-workers, what came to be many times that night were moments when we took time to reflect our beliefs and our Creator.  "What is your favorite Bible story?"  " . . . I don't know, I can't tell you the last time I read the Bible.  I'm going to have to talk to my wife about it."  "What is your favorite Bible verse?"  ". . . To tell you the truth, I haven't read the Bible in twenty years.  I would have to think about it."  And time was taken to think about it.  God moved through this artwork.  In a normally very busy intensive care unit at the hospital, with critically ill patients, this night provided many moments like these.  It became calm.  People looked intently at this art.  People shared personal faith stories.  God blessed us.

This artwork was displayed at Spirit West Coast Christian Music Festival in July, 2002.  Hundreds of people visited the showing and signed our guestbook.  Many shared their personal experiences of pain-filled lives before being saved.  They told us of God's mercies toward them and they were excited to share that with others.  They were moved by the artwork to explain what brought them to salvation.  Many others were unfamiliar with the Bible stories and we had incredible opportunities to witness.  That is what it has been like with this art since the beginning.  Praise God!  The same reaction has occurred with every opportunity to share the art and our faith since then, and the open doors continue today with opportunities to reach into hearts and places that are normally closed to the message of the gospel.  The intricacy, the detail and the simplicity seem to somehow mirror the love that the Father has for us and this art seems to be a simply way to share that love.

That is our hope for this art . . . that it bring blessed opportunities to share the Good News.  Perhaps it can be a tool for you to live 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect . . ."

May God Bless You,

Deborah, sister of Darryl Sieker