Loneliness. Sadness. Pain. Happiness. Joy. It’s easy to experience these emotions alone.
People feel they need to struggle alone. Jump-for-joy alone. They hurt alone. But when pain enters life and one still feels alone, it’s easy to fall into despair. It’s a dark place and one that Lauren Hokamp hopes to help others avoid – because she was right there too.
“In 2018, in the span of 3 months, I left my teaching job, moved to a new town, and had a baby. I was trying to figure out this new identity as a mom as well as meet people, and figure out what my prayer life could look like now,” she says, “ It was hard for me to get out and meet people – it was really a lonely time.”
Growing up in a creative family, she had the gifts she felt the Spirit was calling her to use – but not the time. One of her best memories of being at her grandmother’s house and helping her with one of her projects: “One of my best memories at her house is her making a miniature grotto with us for her outdoor Mary statue – Poured concrete and all!” But life was crazy.
Eight months later, the Holy Spirit was pulling at her heart and answered her prayers in an unlikely way: what if we could experience our struggles through the Saints?
She unpacked her art supplies, settled on watercolors, and began perfecting her craft. During nap times, she devoted time to painting and prayer: “I remember learning that Saint Edith Stein went through a dark period of her life mentally and it gave me so much hope.”
As she continued to perfect her craft, one nap time at a time, she felt another tug from the Holy Spirit and started a business called Light Bearer Designs in order to minister to others through her art:
“To have that Saint Zelie by the sink while you’re doing dishes, Or that Saint Monica in the place where you fold laundry, Or the Saint Gianna on your desk at work, and then to be drawn to prayer in those moments is powerful” says Hokamp, “And then to be able to think of someone in your life who might be struggling with something similar and send them that Saint card… Light Bearer Designs was born out of that place.”
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After years of struggling with infertility, she leaned on the saints again: “I even have an encouragement card in my shop to send to someone who is struggling with infertility that came out of that time of my life.”
“When people look at my art I want it to lead them to prayer…to be drawn into what that Saint’s expression could be”
God has blessed her business and family – even putting a call on their hearts to adopt and then following through to provide the means: “My prayer was, ‘Jesus, you have to get people to buy my art if this is what you’re asking of us (financially).’ And he provided so well. In 2022 we were able to adopt the sweetest baby girl” and after adopting their daughter, a son came 6-months later.
“I am a very visual person when I pray and faces are something that speak a lot about you. When people look at my art I want it to lead them to prayer.. to be drawn into what that Saint’s expression could be. Are they looking at you with love, longing, compassion, solidarity etc? What does the Lord want you to know through that expression?”
Her cards and artwork are an encouragement to others that no-one is ever truly alone and they span the breadth of saints and faith.
“It was such a light in my life, I hope that my art brings light to other people’s lives, and ultimately that it leads them to The Light, Jesus Christ.” ■
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