USING ART TO CONNECT WITH GOD

I’ll never forget the day in Guatemala when my missions team came across some children on the street. In an effort to build relationships with the kids, some of my teammates started chatting in their limited Spanish. I sat down with a boy who was a little separated from the group, and after exhausting the few Spanish phrases I knew, a teammate told him I was an art teacher. He jumped up, ran home and returned with a pack of crayons. We sat on the curb drawing animals, trucks, and whatever else he could think of. God showed me that art is a way to communicate all on its own. I never saw the boy again, but I hope he saw Jesus’ love through a stranger spending time drawing with him. Once I returned home, I began discipling my peers in creative worship and making space for kids from other countries to express themselves creatively. One day, my mentor was talking about personal prayer language, and I started thinking about how art is another layer of communication with God. It’s completely individualized, showing how He created me for a unique purpose. Once I saw art as a way to communicate with God, I realized it could be a way to connect with others about God. As I share who God is through art, I hope others can connect with God in their own unique way.