In the story of the Good Shepherd, Jesus compares a shepherd and a hireling. He explains that a hireling is a person merely hired to watch the sheep. He cares little for the sheep and subsequently the sheep do not recognize his voice. When danger comes, the hireling cares more for his own safety and quickly flees leaving the sheep to fend for themselves. By contrast, the shepherd loves the sheep and knows each one individually. They, in turn, know his voice and follow him when he calls. When danger comes, the shepherd stays to protect the sheep, even laying down his own life if necessary to save them.

This painting was inspired by a story of one Christ-like shepherd whose love and devotion to the sheep saved a young boy. In his own words:

“I became involved in surfing competitions on Sunday mornings and stopped going to my Church meetings. One Sunday morning Brother Marques knocked on my door and asked my mother if he could talk to me. When she told him I was sleeping, he asked permission to wake me. He said to me, ‘Fernando, you are late for church!’ Not listening to my excuses, he took me to church. The next Sunday the same thing happened, so on the third Sunday I decided to leave early to avoid him. As I opened the gate I found him sitting on his car, reading the scriptures. When he saw me he said, ‘Good! You are up early. Today we will go and find another young man!’ After eight Sundays I could not get rid of him, so I decided to sleep at a friend’s house. I was at the beach the next morning when I saw a man dressed in a suit and tie walking towards me. When I saw that it was Brother Marques, I ran into the water. All of a sudden, I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder. It was Brother Marques, in water up to his chest! He took me by the hand and said, ‘You are late! Let’s go.’ When I argued that I didn’t have any clothes to wear, he replied, ‘They are in the car.’ That day as we walked out of the ocean, I was touched by Brother Marques’s sincere love and worry for me. He truly understood the Savior’s words: ‘I will seek that which was lost.’”

Surely the Savior knew from an early age the path that lie ahead of Him, yet He was not discouraged or dismayed. He went about doing good and filled His life, and the lives of others, with joy and happiness.

I am inspired by the story of Reverend Henry Lyte. Henry's father abandoned the family while he was a young boy and his mother died shortly after. In addition to being orphaned at an early age, Henry struggled throughout his life with poor health - yet all that knew him commented on his cheery temperament. His final contribution came just three weeks before his death. Though he was dying of tuberculosis, Henry was still determined to give to others. He rose from his bed and penned the words that would become the cherished hymn,

Abide with Me.

Abide with Me!
fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens.
Lord with me abide.

When other helpers
Fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh,
Abide with me!

Certainly none of us can walk through life free from illness and despair, but we each can decide how we will respond to those trials that come. This painting reminds me when trials come that I can choose to retreat into myself, or I can choose to reach out as the Savior did and bring happiness to others. Only selfless sacrifice can we ever hope to abide with the Lord.

Two thousand years ago the Savior stood on the shores of Galilee teaching the crowds. As night fell, He perceived the people were hungry and asked His disciples to gather what food they could. He then took their "five loaves and two fishes" and fed the five thousand.

A few days later the crowds again returned to the shores of Galilee, but this time the Savior met them saying, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled... from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." - John 6: 26, 67

Are we like the crowds who follow the Savior when life is easy and our bellies full, only to abandon Him when things grow hard? It is my witness that hardship is the cement of discipleship and that only in the midst of our failing health, our wayward children, and tough economic times can we will truly understand the peace that comes from heeding His words, "Come Follow Me."

All three background paintings involve people asking and seeking for heavenly assistance in some way. The children in the front are learning from the images and examples around them. They are learning to which source they can seek to find what they need the most.

In this parable, a man sows (scatters) seeds in a field. Some of the seeds fall by the wayside and are eaten by birds. Some fall among thorns and are choked out. Some fall on stony ground and start to grow, but when the heat of the sun beats down they do not have deep enough roots to survive and are lost. Still other seeds fall on good ground where they bring forth fruit.

The Lord teaches us that the seeds represent the Word of God and the ground represents the hearts of those who hear the word. Some have hearts like the wayside and receive the word, but then let Satan (birds) come and snatch it away. Others have thorny hearts and let their own pleasures and cares choke out the word of God. Still others have stony hearts and though they give the word a chance, when the heat of persecution shines upon them they give up and the word is lost. Finally, some have fertile hearts and make room for the word of God. These bring forth fruit through their actions and become what the sower wanted them to be.

I placed on the ground the shadow of a heart to remind us that we choose which kind of heart we have. We can be like fertile ground and prepare a place for the word of God to grow within us. I also put the symbol of the fish in the sown seeds to remind us that once we find the word, we too must go forth as sowers and spread the good news of Christ.

Water is an elemental force in much of artist Steve Hanks’ work whether it be ocean-based landscapes, or figures in lakes, rivers, and yes, even bathwater. We are, after all, largely made from water. Its movement and fluidity reflect and inspire our lives. Hanks paintings of children offer beautiful surface stories layered with potent meaning. He stays connected to both the loneliness and the magic of childhood. Time of Wonder conveys the unknown possibilities in the future of a single young life as he faces the seemingly infinite ocean. “What I like most about this painting is the way the overcast, misty sky affects the light and colors, like the clarity of the waves breaking behind the boy and the fog sitting on the mountains in the background,” says the artist. “It’s a very solitary, magical place and this youngster is not standing still in this vast landscape. He’s moving forward.”