“You may not always see Him, but He is always there!”
Our Story
Growing up next door to my Grandma and Grandpa, I spent many days of my childhood piddling around in the garage alongside my Grandpa Rex. During our lemonade breaks, my eyes were always drawn to the wooden plaque that was among the salt and pepper shaker collection in Grandma Olie’s kitchen. She told me on several occasions that I needed to, “look for JESUS, because even though you may not always see Him, He is always there”. It took me a few days before JESUS was revealed to me in the artwork.
Throughout my childhood, I never forgot and always remembered those spoken words from Grandma Olie. To this day, I give thanks to God for her, and her constant witness to the love of Jesus Christ.
I always carried a deep seeded thought of the JESUS plaque and her profound spoken words were with me everywhere I went. Several years later, during a visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s, my eyes were drawn once again to the plaque. After talking to them about the JESUS plaque for awhile, I told Grandpa Rex I thought it would be special if he could make a plaque for each of his 12 grandkids. He must have thought it to be a good idea, because that Christmas, we all received JESUS plaques from Grandma and Grandpa.
“The following Christmas Grandpa Rex hand-made The Hidden JESUS for all 12 of his grandkids. I still have my original plaque!”
It was years before I was saved, but I always had the JESUS plaque and Grandma’s profound words within me. Along the way, I met many people who loved the Jesus plaque and it’s message. It left me wanting to continue Grandpa and Grandma’s legacy and to make many more. After becoming a Christian, the Hidden JESUS became a way to minister and bless those around me. It also became a family project during the holiday season, blessing those at church, at work, and in our neighborhood. Every year we made more and more, and after 20 years of making several thousand plaques, I now want to share the message of the Hidden JESUS with everyone.
With the rest of my years on this Earth, God willing, my desire is to build The Hidden JESUS as a ministry to help others witness and spread the gospel of Christ. Because, even when the world around us seems dark, it is important for us to remember what Grandma Olie always said:
“You may not always see Him, but He is always there.”