Town of Wayne, WI – This story originally ran in December 2020.
There is a simple message written in white lights on the side of a barn on Highway 28 just west of County Highway W in the Town of Wayne. A single star shines next to the name Jesus.
That one word spelled out in cursive has had an overwhelming effect on passersby and it is exactly the message Becky and Jed Rathke planned to bring home as the reason for the season.
“The reaction shouldn’t surprise me,” said Jed. “It shouldn’t shock me because the name Jesus is very powerful. I wanted something short that would be big enough to catch somebody’s eye.”
Jed credits his wife for the idea. Something inspired by the death this past August of their 2-year-old son.
“Facing our son’s recent move to eternal life really solidified what our purpose is and how much time we have,” said Jed. “I just felt compelled to do it and I needed a message that was short and maybe even abrasive. But people need it and this may be the only message someone ever sees and if it steers them in the right direction then I did my part.”
Becky thought they would do a star or a cross on the silo. “Jed said he wanted the name of Jesus,” she said.
The couple used aluminum plastic covered residential power line – kind of a heavy-gauge wire to plot out the design in the driveway. The rough draft was a failure so Jed and Becky did the next best thing with Midwest flare.
“We just freehanded it while standing on a ladder in a skid loader,” said Jed.
Questioned which letter gave him the most fits he said, “they were equally problematic.”
“After we put it on there was no fixing or correcting, we just made slight adjustments. Becky was on the ground giving some pointers and the rest was just guessing and hoping,” said Jed.
It took 8 hours, 140 feet of LED rope lights, and metal brackets screwed into the side of the barn and the project totaling 1,000 lights was finished.
“The star was donated many years ago by my father-in-law, Bob Bratten,” said Jed. “It has been sitting up in the barn for more than four years and I just wanted to incorporate that. The history of Jesus birth and the star they followed.”
The message surrounding the Savior is woven into the Rathkes foundation in faith.
“We’re hard-core Christians and we believe everything the Bible speaks of; we have heavy conviction of that name and what it means,” said Jed.
“It’s a reminder that with the circumstances that go on in the world, the word of God never changes,” said Becky.
This past August, however, was a test.
“It was our faith which was the strongest thing that pulled us through,” said Becky.
In August, the Rathke’s lost their 2-year-old son Jedidiah “Jeddie” Levi Rathke. His obituary is a testament to the couple’s faith.
“To say the least, Jeddie was Daddy’s helper and Mommy’s comforter. He was undeniably a piece of heaven granted to us. He will be forever planted in our hearts and to never be removed from our minds. His unmeasurable amount of innocence was a direct reflection of who God is. We find the greatest comfort in knowing where his eternal home is. Heaven.
Jeddie knew nothing more than the purest life at his age. He never encountered the hardships of life and never will. Give God the glory!
The hole he left is not comprehendible. God is the only full cure for the matter. He is more than enough and knows the pain of losing his only Son. Our prayer is that our son’s legacy lives on as a reminder of God’s goodness. Also, as a reminder of the beautiful gift of eternity that is only achieved through the blood of Jesus Christ. And received by accepting what He did on the cross for us.”
The Rathkes said their message in lights has a purpose and the couple plan on leaving them up year-round.
“This is daily… not just the holidays,” said Becky. “A nativity scene is normally taken down; this is profound. He is our everyday.”
Speaking about the tragedy over the summer, Becky admitted it does test your faith.
“But you just know just the truth of the promise God has for us,” she said. “I have a deep sorrow but an even deeper joy because God made this promise, I know where he is and I know I will be there some day.”
Becky references the verse from John 16:33.
“One of the scriptures I stood on is, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And that was Jesus talking. Even when I look at Jesus on the barn – even though we do face the tribulations and the trials He still has overcome all of this and made a way for us.
“We hear so many lies with politics, and you can’t count on the government or even sometimes the people around you, but you can always count on God’s word,” she said.
