It started with a knock on the church door. Someone selling metal “cross in your pockets.” It’s not unusual for folks to stop by the church and leave a card, a flyer, or pitch something they have to sell. This one left a sample of the crosses and I put them away to bring up the idea with a committee at a later time.
Fast forward several weeks and I am at the hospital waiting with a family during a loved one’s surgery. We watch as the same man who had knocked on the church door, the cross salesman, goes around the waiting room handing crosses to folks. When he gets to us, we connect and chat for a moment. I put the cross he handed to me in my jacket pocket.
Fast forward another couple of weeks. I am listening to someone tell me about their father who had just died the night before. We talk about grief, regret, and families. While we talk, a person nearby accidentally drops her coat on the floor. When she bent to pick it up, she noticed a cross on the floor - the one that had mysteriously fallen out of my pocket. Is this yours, she asked? Yes, it is, thank you.
However, instead of putting the cross back in my pocket, when I part from the grieving daughter, I give it to her, along with a hug. God bless you and is with you; and remember that you are loved and in my prayers, I tell her.
Was all this a coincidence? I don’t think so. Is the cross a reminder of the love and grace of God? I know so. Am I going to suggest the church purchase some for folks to hand out at moments like these? You better believe I am!
Blessings.
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