A Changed Life!

It was almost Christmas. I informed our kids money was going to be tight that year. The real blow came when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. Without health insurance, money was a serious issue. Here is what made it infinitely worse.

A regular customer of mine owned a company that created simulated marble plaques with etched illustrations and quotations on them. About six months earlier he asked if I had any artwork to include in his new line of religious products. I showed him a drawing I called “The Face of Christ”. He didn’t seem very interested.

“Why don’t you let me produce some of these?” he asked. “We have to sell about a thousand of them to cover the cost of setting up, then if we sell more I’ll pay you royalties.”

That fall, the discovery of a lump in my wife’s right breast, plunged us into a flood of cancer treatments, doctors and red ink. When the weather turned cold we decided to take our family walks at the Mall. Clearly not for the purpose of Christmas shopping! Walking through one of the major department stores, I turned a corner and received an incredible shock. There stood a full sized display, covered with marble plaques of “The Face of Christ!” Wow! I just stood there with my mouth open. We found the same display in the other major department stores, in the Christian Bookstore, and in the Mall concourse!

Monday morning, I called my friend and he told me my artwork was selling like crazy all over the country! So I asked with growing excitement, ”Roughly how much would that add up to in royalties?”

Silence on the other end of the phone sent a chill through my heart.

“Royalties?” He asked.

“Yes, royalties! You said if you sold over a thousand, I would get royalties.”

Another pause; then, “Oh yes, royalties . . . um, let me call you about that on Friday.”

No call came on Friday. Monday, the week of Christmas I stopped by his office. Cordially he made a point to show me that he had copyrighted the work and displayed the legal documents that went with it. When I asked again about the royalties, he gave me a blank look.

“I don’t recall us ever discussing royalties.”

Stunned, almost unable to breathe, I stepped out into the cold winter sun. After several attempts he refused to take my calls.

Christmas slipped passed like an unwanted frost. I began receiving excited phone calls from friends telling me how they had seen or purchased my artwork in California or Florida. It just made matters worse. Every word or thought about “The Face of Christ” added to the bitterness in my soul.

Not everybody understood my problem. As a Bible believing Christian, I wanted to obey the passage that admonished me not to take a Christian brother to court (I Cor. 6:1-8). I faced a dilemma of God’s making, but refused to let Him provide the solution. As my wife struggled with the disease in her body, I struggled with the disease in my heart.

It looked as If this story was going to be one of total loss. My brave wife lost her battle with cancer and went on to be with Christ. I lost out on making a great deal of money. My faith in God’s goodness had suffered a serious blow and I was at risk of losing my faith. But still the “Face of Christ” kept showing up to torment me in my loss.

After months of agonized days and restless nights, I had to decide. I needed to sue for what rightfully belonged to me, or just let it go. As I wrestled in prayer, God made very clear that the real issue had nothing to do with money or health or even life. The issue I faced had to do with control. Who was really in control of my family, my possessions, my abilities, my money? Who brought life or health or blessing or testing into my life? Was I willing to trust God to be in charge of my life? It was a long night. Like Jacob, I wrestled with God. Finally in the early hours I humbly bowed before God and released my anger. I gave God permission to do what He wanted with all my life. I let go of my artwork, my talents, my wife’s death, and my financial difficulties. I gave Him back complete control. I finally let it go.

What I saw as a total loss, God saw as an opportunity to bring life.

One week later came the first evidence that God could work in ways I did not understand. A friend introduced me to the owner of a Christian bookstore.

“Oh, are you the artist that did the drawing of the “Face of Christ,” She asked? Expecting the now common surge of anger, I answered that I was, but surprisingly felt no bitterness.

“Let me tell you what happened just two weeks ago,” she said excitedly!

“A customer in my store, standing in front of one of your drawings, suddenly began to cry. Waiting until she regained her composure, I watched as she took the artwork off the wall and brought it to the cash register. Very curious at her emotional reaction, I asked if she had been moved by the artwork. With tears still in her eyes she answered;”

“I have been running away from Christ for many years now, but when I looked into this face and saw all the details of Christ’s sacrifice for me, I knew that I had to come back to Him.”

As I listened to that story, tears formed in my own eyes. Slowly I awakened to the realization that in some way I could not understand, God was using my artwork to change people’s lives.

Not too long after, I heard from a husband on the verge of divorce who came home in a drunken rage. He began smashing everything he could grab. On the mantle rested the marble etching of the “Face of Christ.” He reached for it and suddenly he began to see the details in the face! Captivated, he studied the drawing. Then the impact of Christ’s love gripped his heart. Slumping to the couch he called to his wife, who was hiding from his wrath in the bedroom. Together they stared at the face. In tears they held each other and prayed that God would restore their marriage.

Two nuns came to my studio after sharing the artwork at a teenage retreat. They told me how many of the young people had come to Christ because of the artwork.

The owner of a wedding boutique had the “Face of Christ” hanging in his gift shop. He told me of dozens of people who had come to Christ as they heard him explain the story of the gospel contained in the artwork.

Over the years many more moving stories have followed. Then came the biggest surprise of all!

Early this year somebody scanned the original artwork and it has now been emailed around the globe. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people have been inspired and encouraged by “The Face of Christ!”

Since then, the company that produced the plaques has gone out of business and I have added the miracle of the resurrection of Christ to the original drawing.

God used “The Face of Christ” to change my life! Perhaps you too have a story to tell about this amazing artwork. I would love to hear it. Please email your story to me at: info@joecastillo.com and we will post it on our website. ArtStonePublishers.com.

May you see the hand of God in your life.