It just came out of the sea (courtesy Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Imagine walking down a beautiful beach on a warm Saturday morning and coming upon a large twenty-foot cross washing ashore. A crowd gathers, many believers who sing praises and call it a sign of God's presence and grace. They decide to physically carry the heavy, barnacle-laden old wooden cross up the beach to the dune line to protect it.
Well, folks, this isn't an imaginary story, since last Saturday morning the event so described actually took place on the Fort Lauderdale oceanfront. For some it meant little, but there were plenty others who have faith and wondered about it. Where did it come from? What did its arrival mean? Let's take a stab at what the answers might be to both questions.
As far as how it got there, that one is relatively easy. The sea brought it and since it is a very basic wooden cross and one that is weathered and barnacle infested as well, it wasn't cargo. No, it probably floated a long distance, pushed by current, wind and waves. With the number of severe storms that hit both east and southeast of Fort Lauderdale, my guess would br it came from a simple church somewhere in the islands that was inundated by storm tides. It could have been in the lower Bahamas, possibly even as far away as Hispaniola or Puerto Rico if the winds were right. it could have even been from the Keys or in the Gulf of Mexico where the current took it toward the Florida Straits. If it successfully worked its way to the far southeast coast of Florida, the Gulf Stream would have picked it up and carried it north where it comes closest to land and then been pushed toward shore by a storm. That's as good an answer as any.
So, then what message does it send? Well, that depends on the receiver of the message but, in general, the Lord always wants us to remember who He is and that we are all created in His image. He knows we are frail and weak and don't always live for Him as we should. Yet the very symbol of the cross and what it represents is a clear message of what we owe Him. We owe Him our very existence and it was He who unselfishly gave us His only Son on Calvary's Cross to give us the opportunity to be forgiven if we believe through faith and faith alone. That's the key to all of His messages, whether they come by sea, by land or air. Believing in our Lord and Savior is the most important thing He wants to be sure we understand.
I also think, however, that maybe sending a cross by sea to the beach at Fort Lauderdale could have a very important local point as well. Fort Lauderdale was the home for nearly half a century for D. James Kennedy, a devoted Bible believing Christian and American Patriot who led the huge Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church congregation from 1960 until his death in 2007. He was a great teacher and preacher and millions knew him from his television broadcasts for many years. If there was a Sunday when I couldn't go to church, I always watched and listened to him. I also have read several of his messages as well. From that vantage point, I know that he was a hard act to follow by whoever replaced him. So, maybe, just maybe, God sent the message to that coastal resort area to let Dr. Kennedy's flock know that their great theologian is watching from above with a big smile on his face. Just a personal observation, nothing more and nothing less.
God sends us messages daily. Sometimes they come in a vision. Sometimes they come to help us solve a problem when we are having trouble. Sometimes they might be in a storm or a beautiful sunrise or sunset. And sometimes they come as an old rugged cross floating in from the sea. Once we've learned to discern fact from fiction through a good and active relationship with Our Lord, they are much easier to see and we will see them clearly.
Well, folks, this isn't an imaginary story, since last Saturday morning the event so described actually took place on the Fort Lauderdale oceanfront. For some it meant little, but there were plenty others who have faith and wondered about it. Where did it come from? What did its arrival mean? Let's take a stab at what the answers might be to both questions.
As far as how it got there, that one is relatively easy. The sea brought it and since it is a very basic wooden cross and one that is weathered and barnacle infested as well, it wasn't cargo. No, it probably floated a long distance, pushed by current, wind and waves. With the number of severe storms that hit both east and southeast of Fort Lauderdale, my guess would br it came from a simple church somewhere in the islands that was inundated by storm tides. It could have been in the lower Bahamas, possibly even as far away as Hispaniola or Puerto Rico if the winds were right. it could have even been from the Keys or in the Gulf of Mexico where the current took it toward the Florida Straits. If it successfully worked its way to the far southeast coast of Florida, the Gulf Stream would have picked it up and carried it north where it comes closest to land and then been pushed toward shore by a storm. That's as good an answer as any.
So, then what message does it send? Well, that depends on the receiver of the message but, in general, the Lord always wants us to remember who He is and that we are all created in His image. He knows we are frail and weak and don't always live for Him as we should. Yet the very symbol of the cross and what it represents is a clear message of what we owe Him. We owe Him our very existence and it was He who unselfishly gave us His only Son on Calvary's Cross to give us the opportunity to be forgiven if we believe through faith and faith alone. That's the key to all of His messages, whether they come by sea, by land or air. Believing in our Lord and Savior is the most important thing He wants to be sure we understand.
I also think, however, that maybe sending a cross by sea to the beach at Fort Lauderdale could have a very important local point as well. Fort Lauderdale was the home for nearly half a century for D. James Kennedy, a devoted Bible believing Christian and American Patriot who led the huge Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church congregation from 1960 until his death in 2007. He was a great teacher and preacher and millions knew him from his television broadcasts for many years. If there was a Sunday when I couldn't go to church, I always watched and listened to him. I also have read several of his messages as well. From that vantage point, I know that he was a hard act to follow by whoever replaced him. So, maybe, just maybe, God sent the message to that coastal resort area to let Dr. Kennedy's flock know that their great theologian is watching from above with a big smile on his face. Just a personal observation, nothing more and nothing less.
God sends us messages daily. Sometimes they come in a vision. Sometimes they come to help us solve a problem when we are having trouble. Sometimes they might be in a storm or a beautiful sunrise or sunset. And sometimes they come as an old rugged cross floating in from the sea. Once we've learned to discern fact from fiction through a good and active relationship with Our Lord, they are much easier to see and we will see them clearly.
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