Encountering The Cross (Week Two)

  

   It had been the worst two months of his life. Jim still couldn't wrap his head over losing his job and everything else that followed. He closed his eyes and fell to the ground on his knees. When Jim opened his eyes again, he found himself on his favorite path. So many times in the past, he almost ran up this mountain path, but not today. Today, even just breathing the mountain air was difficult. Today, his favorite path seemed dark and confusing. He lost his footing more than once, tripping over half-buried rocks and sliding over slippery gravel. Then he tripped over something and hit the ground hard.

 Jim just played there for a minute, not wanting to get up. After several minutes, he slowly pulled himself up. He had a couple of nice scrapes, but nothing appeared broken. "What did I even trip over?" Jim thought to himself. He walked back a couple of feet and looked at the ground. "You have got to be kidding me," he said out loud. How did he not see that large wooden cross on the ground? How did it appear out of nowhere? Stripped of his material possessions and pride, Jim just stood there feeling naked and cold. Looking at the rough wood, he saw two words carved into the grain: Trust Me.

 Jim just stared at those words, unable to move. Was he really capable of trusting anyone right now? As he stood there, the sun pushed through the clouds, and something shiny caught his eye a few feet past the cross. Jim walked over and picked up the fancy pen lying in the grass. It looked similar to the ones he had always carried in his briefcase. Jim held the pen as he walked back to the cross. His eyes fixated on the words "Trust Me." Jim wondered, "Was this an invitation? A command? Or insanity?"

 After several soul-bearing moments, Jim bent down and, using the pen, etched out two new words on the cross beam, "Lead Me" " As he picked up the cross, the wind blew, unveiling a path to his right. He thoughtfully considered the path. "Maybe it's time to leave this old path behind and follow this new one." Jim took a deep breath in and then slowly released it. He repositioned his hands to get a better grip on the cross. The weight was heavy but manageable.

  Faithfully, he began walking up this new path. And although he had no idea where it was going, he didn't feel lost. Jim knew he was being led.

-Susan