Many Crosses

           In my apartment I have a wall of crosses. Among this wall of crosses is one cross made up of many crosses.  It reminds me of a cross my husband, Gerry, bought me for our home many years ago; a cross I lost in the fire that destroyed our home three years ago.
           Each of the crosses on the larger cross are different. All of the smaller crosses are decorative. They hang on a very rustic larger cross.
           As I sit looking at this wall hanging, I realized there are various ways of looking at this piece of art in relation to our relationship to our LORD.
           As I look at the cross, I see all of us as smaller versions of Christ, being attached to Him. Each of us are unique and different – yet each of us is the same in that we are each part of His family, individual Christians; no one more important than the other.
           I look at the larger rustic cross as Christ and the way He lived His life. He gave up the riches of Heaven to live an earthly life. He lived the life of a poor person, a human so that He could take our place. So that he could pay the price for our sins, since we could not do this. He paid with His perfect life since we could not pay the price for our salvation.
           Yet, in the center of the rustic cross is a large ornate cross which helps me remember Jesus’ divine nature. I remember that Jesus had to be fully God in order to give Himself as a sacrifice for us to have eternal life. 
           As I look at this cross, I see all the different children and people we here at Grace come into contact with and are sharing the Good News of salvation with; again, each with unique gifts and talents for His work here on earth.
           I see an example of Matthew 16:24 – 26 where Christ told us to take up our cross and follow Him. I see each of us having various events in our lives that make us who we are. These events can be pleasant or unpleasant and they make and mold us into the people we are called to be. We can let these events make us beautiful and reflect the Light of Christ and follow Him, or we can put out His light and not follow Him.
           It is up to us to if we let ourselves become lights that allow the Light of Christ shine out of us as 2 Corinthians 4:6 says. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.