Friends,
Holy Week draws near. This season of Lent has me thinking of the cross. May we never forget His loving sacrifice for us.
BODY & SOUL
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 – NIV
The tiny cross lies in the palm of my hand, its delicate blue ribbon intricately woven across a miniature frame. I stare at this beautiful bookmark and remember the letter received so long ago. I had just been diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal disease that causes progressive vision loss. I was just 33 years old, overwhelmed and heartbroken at the news, when the letter arrived on that November day.
The note was short, written in tiny cursive letters. “I am praying for you. I hope this tiny cross will remind you of God’s love for you in this difficult time.” The miniature blue cross was nestled inside the note. There was a signature at the bottom of the note, but I did not know the writer.
You see, friends and family had placed my name on prayer lists all over the country. Every day, there would be a card or note in the mailbox. Many were from people I had never met, just like the giver of that tiny cross.
People cared. Even if they did not know me, they cared about my plight. They sacrificed their time and energy to share a greeting of encouragement, to lift a prayer on my behalf.
Holding that cross in my hand, I am reminded of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. He cared. He cared so much that He laid down His life for us. On a hill faraway, He endured a horrible death upon a rugged Roman cross so that you and I would have a life beyond the grave. He loved us that much.
I never thanked the writer of that lovely note, but I have never forgotten her precious gift. The tiny cross remains in my Bible, set in the eight chapter of Romans, marking the spot between two of my favorite scriptures, Romans 8:28 and Romans 8:38-39. Those verses have seen me through many challenges on this journey through blindness. It is fitting for that little cross to save that spot.
Let the cross remain as a reminder of Jesus’ most precious gift to us. May we always remember the sacrifice of our Savior on that cross. May we stand in awe of Jesus’ love for us, a love so great that He would endure the cross just to set us free. Let you and I not fail to thank Him daily for His amazing gift of grace.
For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us. – Romans 8:38-39 – TLB
PRAYER
O Precious Jesus, how can we ever thank You enough for Your marvelous gift of grace. Because You loved us so much, You endured the cross to grant us victory over death. You gave us a gift we don’t deserve, because You could not bear to leave us lost and alone. Oh, how we thank You. Oh, how we love You. May we always remember the gift of the cross.
In the Loving Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
Faith Beyond Sight 