“Dude, is this your cousin?!”
Over the last few weeks, people have been asking me if I know or am related to Jake Weidmann. Yes, I do know Him. Yes, I am related to Him. he is not just anyone to me, he is my brother.
Jake Weidmann is not your average artist. He is uniquely gifted and we’ve known it his whole life. I’ve had the privileged seeing Jake develop his character and skill from the day he was born. He is my younger brother by two years but has always surpassed me in wisdom and artistic ability. He loves the Lord more than He loves art (which is saying a lot). His passion for penmanship and creative design comes from a God-designed place in the core of his being. I guarantee you’ve never met someone as passionate as my brother when it come to creating.
If you don’t believe me, and you haven’t seen this viral mini-documentary on him, you need to watch it now (or again):
[youtube id=”KvSyQDu49pI”]
It is my brother’s birthday this week. In keeping with a new tradition of posting on my family’s birthday’s, I want to share with you a few things I’ve learned from this amazing man I call “brother”:
#1. God gives us gifts to grow in closeness with Him.
I used to think that my brother just did his art as a hobby. However, as I have watched him develop, I realize this is more of a worship expression than a way to pass the time in pure amusement. Jake has an understanding about God’s design of art that is deeply rooted in biblical theology. Don’t believe me? Listen to him explain it in this podcast. Our God is a creative God who gifts us all to join him in expressing ourselves creatively. Even if we can’t do what Jake does (which I can’t), there are other ways we have been given giftings for creative purposes. These are all to be expressed, not suppressed, for the sake of growing in the image of our Creator. Jake has modeled the importance of expression as a part of our spiritual discipleship.
#2. God uses our gifts to expand the minds of others.
Every time someone connects the dots that Jake is my brother, they almost always say, “His work blows my mind!” Yes, I know, that has never gotten old for me. God gave him a gift that allows others to see the marvelous skill of God expressed through human hands. While it is amazing that Jake can do what he does, it is more amazing that there is a Creator who made him in such a way that he is able to do it. Jake is 1 in a million (Maybe even a billion) and that alone gives us a deeper respect for the handiwork of our God. Jake’s art should make your heart sing to God, “Oh how marvelous are your ways.”
#3. God calls us to pay attention to detail.
To say that my brother “geeks out” over art and penmanship is an understatement. He can tell you the specific texture of the wood grain of the Dalbergia retusa tree from Central America. He can tell you the exact angle by which all of his lines intersect in the Spencerian Script (one of many scripts he is proficient at). As he carves his penholders, paints his canvas, or chiseled his sculptures, his attention to detail is unprecedented. Though we are not all wired this way, he does model something that is good for all of us to learn: details always matter. Whether it is in our personal or professional life, we must pay close attention to the details if we are going to live intentionally and with excellence. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Everything we do must be done with excellence as an expression to God. Jake does this well.
I love my brother. I would be half the man I am today if it wasn’t for Jake’s friendship in my life. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing companion to learn from, experience life with. Here’s to another year of God’s creativity expressed through Jake!
No, he’s not my cousin. He’s my best friend.
