An Upside-Down Ambigram Christmas Card

by Beth Gully

As a pastor once said, “Our lives were turned upside down One Christmas”.

These words are meaningful to me when I think about the gift that God gave me through a simple drawing many years ago.

As I was sitting down to create my annual Christmas card in 1994, I had the idea to create Santa one way and then, upside down, those same lines were supposed to create the face of Jesus. Really? That’s crazy, right? So I questioned God about it because it seemed absolutely impossible.

But God is so amazing.
There are no boundaries to what He can create, and no boundaries of what He can create through you.

When I began my career as a graphic designer I had no idea I had the ability to create ambigrams (upside-down images). But I found that as I paid attention to God, He would show me so much.

This upside-down image of Santa and Jesus would become a powerful tool for fundraising in churches and mission trips. I created leather coasters, glass ornaments, magnets and Christmas cards that could be sold with proceeds going to help pay for teenagers and adults to have a mission trip experience.

This Santa/Jesus design, several years later, won an international gold award, where judges from all over the world, even places that don’t celebrate Jesus or Santa, honored the design’s appeal and uniqueness.

All in one afternoon, while creating a simple Christmas card design for my friends and family, God turned this ordinary card design upside down, and gave me an upside-down ministry to express my love for Jesus.

I want to encourage you to explore your God-given gifts. God has given each of us a unique set of gifts and as you pay attention to God and His Word, He will reveal them to you. They may seem impossible! In fact, the more impossible they seem, the more God will show up in your life and remind you that it is through Him that you are able to do great things.

Read Romans 12:6
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

Pray:
Lord, your gifts are so much bigger than we can imagine. You lavish your love on us and give us great abilities. Help us to lean into You so You can show them to us. We pray that as You open our eyes to what You have for us that we will, in turn, give praise as our gift to You. Amen.