Over the past 18 years our family has made many crosses, too many to count and most have been given away as gifts for learning Bible verses at church events, Bible camps, all night Youth events, biker rally's and Sunday school classes. I remember years ago in our basement we had our little cross shop and the kids would gather around as I would cut the horseshoe nails to the right length and then solder them together, clean them up and wrap each one. Dip them in a special dip to make them shiny and to keep them looking good. Back then we could make about ten crosses a day and that was pretty good. As the years passed by and all the kids took their turns at soldering and cleaning or wrapping crosses we have been able to make more and more each year. Today on a good day we can easily make 100 crosses a day and we have been able to have a lot of others that have been gifted that also help us in the cross shop. We make about 400 different kinds of crosses and we seem to be the largest handmade cross shop in the world, how cool is that? We no longer solder the crosses they are all copper brazed and and are much stronger and as we offer a life time warrantee with each cross so they have to be strong. Larry works hard to ensure quality control as each cross is double checked for strength. They are also much shinnier as Ben carefully cleans and polishes each cross to a fine finish. Then I take each one and wrap them with one of our many cords or wire selection to make each one as unique as the person that will wear it. Then for the final inspection Diane will let no cross leave the shop till it is as perfect as she expects each one should be. Then she ties a cord on to it and a scroll to tell a little message about the cross and what it should mean to each of us. A lot of folks won't wear a cross as they say people should see Jesus in me without wearing a cross. We find we get so many opportunities to encourage people because they see the cross we are wearing and it makes an open door to talk about it. A cross always draws attention and gives an opportunity to share it's meaning and purpose. I was once set up at a swap meet many years ago, a place were bikers sell and trade bikes, bike parts, clothing and a whole lot more. Along came this big biker with his girl friend. He was in a brown trench coat and hat with a really good beard and would not look at me. His girlfriend looked at the information I had set out on the table about Crossman ministries and we had a good selection of crosses for sale also. After his girlfriend looked at a few of the crosses she found one that she really liked and showed it to him, but he said, "I don't care your buying it not me." Well I'm thinking this guy is none too friendly and why is she with him anyways. She chose a cross and gave us a donation for it and then she walked away but he just stood there in front of our table until she was gone over to another table. Well he then turned to us [ Joey and Mike were with me ] and he said, "could I ask you a question," and I said, "sure." He then asked me the most unbelievable question, he told me that the girl that was with him is his girlfriend but that she is a Christian and though he really liked her, he said I respect my way of life and my friends and I'm not sure how I'll be able to keep her. Then he looked at me for an answer, I swallowed hard and the boys later told me they were wondering, "oh boy dad what are you going to do now?" Well God is good and so I just had to trust that God would put the right words into my mouth as this guy wanted to have an answer. So I then told him that one of the things I know for sure is that God doesn't put people int our lives for nothing and that if he would respect her as much as he respects his friends and his way of life that no matter what was going on in his life God would use her to teach him something that he needed to know and would help him always. Well then, what happened next was amazing as he reached across the table and shook my hand as he said thank you very much I needed to hear that and that he would like to talk to me again some time.
Most people need and want to hear from God to help them in their lives some time or other and even though they don't easily admit it they are glad that there are those of us are willing to talk to them and pray for them. A friend of ours once said that we as Christians have a great responsibility in that we need to pray and when God puts someone in our path that need God's help we had better not ignore the responsibility to do what needs to be done. Too many just walk on by or ignore the needs of others. Someone told me the other day I don't want the hassle I just want to go home and be left alone someone else can do it.
If God has saved you from that pit and given you a new life you should use every opportunity to share with others what the Lord has done for you.
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