I first noticed the sign one December afternoon while driving home on Little Park Road. It was simple and handmade—just a piece of white-painted plywood with stenciled black letters that read, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” The humble message caught my attention, and I slowed down to read it again. Such a profound message shared in such as simple way.

Every day after that, I looked for the sign, wondering about the people who created it and the story behind it. I hoped to see someone by the mailbox so I could thank them for such a meaningful display. 

Years passed before I acted on my curiosity and attempted to contact the people who faithfully shared this message year after year.

Sharon Roper and Dave Dashner proudly display their handcrafted sign on their property off Little Park Road, spreading a message of faith and hope this holiday season.

 Last December, I noted the house number on the mailbox nearest the sign and found the property owners: Sharon Roper and Dave Dashner. When the phone book yielded an outdated number, I reached out to some Glade Park friends with the same last name. They turned out to be relatives who kindly provided a current phone number for the owners.

After a brief phone conversation explaining my interest in the sign, Roper invited me to visit their home. When I arrived, Dashner greeted me from the front porch as I drove down their long driveway, past a horse barn, an arena and a parking area with two horse trailers.

As we sat down to talk, I asked about the sign. “What inspired you to create it?”

“It’s our personal testimony about what we believe,” said Dashner, 81. “We feel Christmas has gotten so commercialized and wanted to bring back the meaning of the holiday.”

A few years after the sign first went up, Dashner added a lighted star on the side of their barn close to the road. Later, he built a Nativity scene at the barn’s base, with the star pointing toward it.

“The wording seems to get to the point without giving specific direction,” he added.

Dashner added a lighted star to the side of their barn and a Nativity scene.

 As we continued talking, I asked how others had responded to the display. “You’re actually the first person who has actually commented on our sign,” he said. “But just last week, a neighbor asked when I was going to put everything up. She said it just wasn’t Christmas without it.”

While talking with the couple, it was easy to see how their faith has been an integral part of their lives. Roper, who grew up in a Christian home, accepted Jesus as her Savior at age 9.

“My everyday life revolves around my faith,” said Roper, now 79. “My faith in him has been lifelong and I rely on him for direction.”

Dashner didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. But when he met Roper 22 years ago, she shared her faith and it became part of his life too. 

The couple remain involved in their church, participating in programs like Operation Christmas Child, The Giving Tree, Convoy of Hope and even supported a Ugandan child through Compassion International. Their compassion extends to animals as well, with their ranch, a home to horses, chickens, the family dog and more.

“My parents built this house in the ’60s, and Dad and I rode horses all over these hills, some now known as the Lunch Loop trails,” said Roper. “The cyclists think they made the trails, but I covered them many times with my horses before that.”

A former long-distance rider, Sharon has brought her love of horses into many aspects of her life.

A former long-distance rider, Roper has incorporated her love of horses into many aspects of her life. During her nursing career, she incorporated equine therapy into retreats for women. It also inspired her to launch Specialized Saddles, a business focused on creating flexible, custom saddles designed to ensure the comfort of both horse and rider.

Before I left, Roper brought the sign into the kitchen for me to see up close. There it was—“Wise Men Still Seek Him.” As I looked at it, I thought about how many others had seen this simple display over the years, a simple yet profound reminder of the season’s true meaning. Amid the glitz and clamor of the holidays, the sign stands out as a humble declaration of faith, gently reminding us that the birth of Jesus is the reason we celebrate.