A Cross Carried from Hand to Hand

King Of Prussia Mall, PA

The other day, as I was thinking about my upcoming overseas trip back to my home country, I suddenly had this desire to buy a small cross to carry with me. My sister once brought me a tiny olive-wood cross from her trip to Jerusalem that now hangs in my car, and I wanted something slightly bigger that also came from the Holy Land. Since I can’t travel there, I thought my only option was to search on eBay for an overseas seller.

But today, I happened to accompany my siblings to KOP mall and came across a small pop-up booth selling hand-carved Christian decor. “All of our products came from the Holy Land. They’re handcrafted from olive wood by a Christian family there,” the owner said.

As I browsed through the pieces, I found one cross in the size I wanted and without the usual man-made figure of Jesus attached to it. The cross was unique, elegant, and clearly carved by human hands. That was what I was wanted – I thought. It also felt like God saying to me, “See, I know what you were looking for.”

When I went to pay, the owner added softly, “The person who made this cross is not here anymore.”

“You mean… he passed away?”

“Yeah.”

I hope you won’t find this creepy. I actually find it even more meaningful. This small wooden cross was carved by someone who lived, worked, and eventually went home to the Lord. And now, his hands left behind a carefully crafted piece that is now resting in mine.

It reminds me that our quiet obedience and faithfulness can outlive us. What we create may one day become part of someone else’s walk with God. May we, like that unknown craftsman, leave behind something that points others to Jesus.