April 26, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Renowned painter and illustrator Ron DiCianni recently finished his first pro-life piece entitled “Before I Formed You in the Womb.” Together with his son Grant, DiCianni is attempting to have the painting distributed to pregnancy centers, abortion clinics, pediatrician offices, churches, and other facilities with the hope of persuading women considering abortion to choose life.
Six decades ago, DiCianni’s own mother made that choice when she came close to aborting him.
Just as the doctor was about to insert a needle into her arm, she heard God’s voice telling her not to go through with the abortion, because He had special plans for her child. His mother obeyed God’s voice, pushed the needle away, and fled from the abortion clinic. Her son’s life was spared.
DiCianni says he has never felt bitter but instead told his mother, “Mom, you heard God’s voice. I’m so grateful God has a plan for me.”
In fact, it was his mother who constantly reminded him, “Ron, God’s called you. God has a plan for you.”
A Boston native who now lives in southern California, DiCianni views his calling in life to use the gifts God has given him to put the subjects that are dear to him into visual form.
Though asked to do pro-life artwork before, DiCianni believes strongly that any work he does should present a positive, victorious message of hope for the unborn rather than one of tragedy or horror.
He wants to move people to action and feels a positive message in visual form is the most effective way to achieve this goal.
Six months ago, Christian author and evangelist Ray Comfort contacted him, asking if he would be interested in creating a painting with a positive pro-life message. DiCianni agreed and almost immediately, Jeremiah 1:5 came to his mind as the inspiration. The verse says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart.” He called his painting “Before I Knew You in the Womb.”
The painting envisions a growing baby in the womb, and its focal point is the hand of Christ touching the mother's pregnant belly.
Barely had the paint dried on his painting and people were already asking DiCianni for copies. This inspired Ron and his son Grant to begin The Before I Knew You non-profit foundation. “The goal of the foundation is to take the message that God created each life and before each life was created in the womb, God knew them and had a purpose for them,” Grant told LifeSiteNews.com.
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“I believe every single pregnancy is a baby formed by God,” says DiCianni. “God knows each aborted baby as well as he knows every star He created. Each [person] has a name and life breathed into them.”
The foundation offers five ways for people to participate in the message of life. They are encouraged to pray, sponsor, share the mission of the organization, donate, and get involved.
Additionally, life packs have been put together. These packs include a print of the painting, a DVD copy of Ray Comfort’s documentary 180, and a personal letter from Ron detailing his story with an appeal to choose life. For $40 to $99 one of these packs can be sent to help women who desperately need to be encouraged to choose life.
“The response so far has been through the roof,” says Grant. The foundation has only been around for two months and already, approximately 150,000 individuals have been touched by the painting. To illustrate the importance of becoming involved, he gives the story of one woman who wrote them to say she came close to convincing a pregnant woman entering an abortion clinic to choose life. “If I’d have had your painting to show her what she was about to kill,” said the woman, “I think I could have persuaded her not to walk in.”
Though he hopes to reach as many people as possible with his painting, DiCianni says, “If I touch just one person, it will have been worth doing.”
To find out more about Ron DiCianni and the foundation, visit www.FormedYou.com.