Unusual People, Unexpected Places

UNUSUAL PEOPLE, UNEXPECTED PLACES

Akiane Kramarik is only 12 years old, but she has abilities far beyond her years. Her mother chose to give birth to her underwater at the family home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois. The family now lives in Idaho. Akiane speaks four languages, writes poetry, plays piano and composes her own music, and most of all she paints. Her paintings have deep expression and magnificent, living colors. She explains that she had a spiritual encounter with God at the ripe old age of four, and that now her paintings are attempts to help people experience God through her eyes. She claims to have actually visited heaven and gives vivid expression to what she saw there. She wants to put on canvas what she has seen in her visions and dreams.

She says, "I want my art to draw people's attention to God. I want my poetry to keep people's attention to God." Her desire is that people find hope in her paintings. The picture of Jesus here is entitled, "Father forgive them," and was painted when she was 9. The next one is called "The Journey" -- also painted when she was 9. This painting is called "Planted Eyes," and the one next to it is called "Prince of Peace." Both were painted when she was only 8. Her web site defines her goal as: "To be an inspiration for others and to be the gift to God." That's very profound for a 12-year-old -- "to be the gift of God."

But the interesting part of the story is that Akiane did not come from a Christian home. Her American father is a culinary art instructor and chef, and her stay-at-home, Lithuanian mother was an atheist. There was no teaching in the home about the Christian faith, they never went to church and there was no talk of God. The entire family has now converted to Christianity, but home was not the place where she received any spiritual training. She has appeared on many TV shows, and been featured in several magazines. How did God break through to a 4-year-old girl in an atheistic home? I have absolutely no idea. Why did he do it? Well, he gave this girl a vision and a mission. But beyond that, this is just what God does. He chooses unusual people in unexpected places.

(From a sermon by Capitan Gerardo Balmori, Christmas and Culture, 4/2/2011)