By Rex Hausmann
When I visit Brooklyn, I usually end up at a wonderful donut shop with my friend Don, an artist who lives in the neighborhood. One morning, while enjoying a cup of coffee there (notĀ a donut, as I am trying to watch what I eat), I remembered an idea that had come to me as I prayed:Ā Give thanks with art and help someone. Paint every day that you are in New York.
It was Easter Sunday. In the display case I saw the most beautiful tray of donuts Iāve ever seen. It even featured donuts decorated with miniature Peeps.
I began sketching. The ownerās daughter saw me and asked if I was an artist. Don replied, āOf course he is. You should see his paintings!ā
āDo you like my artwork?ā I asked. She said she liked it very much. I thought,Ā why not paint their front window to say thank you to the community?Ā Besides, as an artist who specializes in fine art, the opportunities to show my work are somewhat narrow. Painting a window sounded like fun.
The owner asked how much I would charge to do a mural on the front windows. I knew my regular prices would be way out of range, so I just said, āAs long as you provide the paint, Iāll come and paint.ā I promised to come back the next day around 2:30 p.m.
The family wasnāt sure if I was going to show up. I showed them a little concept sketch for the window. I could tell they were worriedāthey had never dealt with me before, and they didnāt know what I wanted other than to paint.
I showed up at 2:30 p.m. sharp and started to work. I saw the owner watching me on the security monitor as I painted. He was smiling. When I was about halfway through the mural, he brought out his iPad. He was FaceTiming with his family: his wife, son, and daughter were on the screen. They loved the mural! āHe paints so fast!ā they said.
Later in the day his six-year-old son and teenage daughter came and helped at their dadās shop. The little boy helped me paint sprinkles on the donuts. He declared, āIām artist number one and youāre artist number two. Iām the master artist!ā
I responded, āWell, youāre the boss!ā
When I was done they asked for one more favor: Would I paint a DNA molecule on the board for the daughterās science fair project? It was the end of the day and I was tired, but I did, and I enjoyed it very much.
When I was done, the donut shop owner, smiling ear-to-ear, asked, āHow much do I owe you?ā
āYou donāt owe me anything,ā I said. āI wanted to paint and thatās exactly what I did. Consider this an Easter gift to you and your family. Iām visiting from Texas, and I just wanted to paint every day I was in New York. You helped me do that.ā
He responded, āIām a MuslimāI must pay you. Itās part of who I am.ā
āThis is a gift,ā I said. āGod is good and I love painting every day. A doctor in Texas just bought a very large painting of mine, and a few friends have bought smaller works recently, so this is my gift to you. If youād like to thank anybody, thank them, because thatās why I can do this.ā
He was beyond excited. His daughter gave me the biggest box of donuts Iād ever seen. I took them back to Donās apartment and shared them with Don and his roommates. It was a great day in Brooklyn.
Painting for this family was a random act of service. Since then Iāve gone on to paint three more windows for this donut shop, and another one is in the works. Itās not something I can do very often. But Iām so thankful for this opportunity to be generousāto do what I can when I can.
Rex Hausmann is a San Antonio artist involved inĀ Via Affirmativa, a Navigator ministry that celebrates beauty, affirms artists, and engages communities for the sake of the gospel of the Kingdom.
What ways can you give it forward?Ā Whether it is through art, words of affirmation, or acts of service, you can show Godās love in a tangible way to those in your sphere of influence.
Itās the āOMGā by the rabbit speech bubble somewhat flippant and disregarding the Holy name of our Lord? ā¹ļø
This story encourages me as it reminds me that God can use our talents/work to showcase His goodness to those around us š