The Cross In My Pocket
Have you ever been emotionally or physically hurting so bad that you just didn’t want to wake up the next morning? You cried to God…you prayed…you begged…you demanded…then unexpectedly…a total stranger crosses your path and changes your life forever. That’s what happened to me.
Let me share what this wonderful elderly gentleman did.
The Emotional Meltdown…
Fall of 2000… I had left my abuser, which was my second and final time, (Statistics from The National Domestic Violence Hotline say…on average, it takes a victim seven times to leave before staying away for good), and even though I had an order-for-protection against him, he was now using his attorney and other people to abuse me.
The police had his truck information on record, so he was now using other people’s vehicles to stalk me. He would put things on my front step in the middle of the night to let me know he had been there, or he would put something on my car during the day to let me know he had been following me. He would call from someone else’s phone so I would answer and then threaten to kill me if I didn’t drop all charges or give in to him. I was in fear 24 hrs a day.
When his psychologist, (which was a mandatory therapy for him to stay out of jail,) called in a panic and said to me; “You need to leave your house now. Bill was just here, he blames you for everything and said he’s scared he’ll kill you”, so I grabbed what I could fit in my car, left my home behind and found somewhere to stay so he couldn’t find me.
After about 2 months of this, I woke up in tears exhausted, severely depressed, tired of looking over my shoulder and afraid to go anywhere. I wasn’t sleeping and my headaches were severe. I had gotten to the point that I just didn’t have the energy or the will to live anymore. I was scared of the thoughts that were running through my head that just wouldn’t go away.
The Strangers Gift…
I decided that morning to go to Owatonna to attend a church that I had never been to and didn’t know anyone. When I pulled into the parking lot, I put my head on the steering wheel and cried. I didn’t want to go in. I didn’t want to live. I just wanted to be gone. Why am I even here?!
I remember saying out-loud to God; “I need a sign from you to let me know that everything is going to be okay because I can’t do this anymore. And it can’t be just a gentle whisper, you need to knock-me-upside-the-head or I won’t hear you because I’m so messed up.” I wiped the tears and went inside.
I sat at the end of the row next to an elderly couple. I didn’t want to talk to anyone so I looked straight ahead. The service hadn’t started yet when the elderly gentleman leaned over the woman and was trying to hand me something. He said; “This is for you”. I looked at him and said; “Excuse me?” He said; “I made this for you.”
When I reached out for it, he grabbed my hand with both of his hands and squeezed gently. He then looked at me with warm loving eyes, smiled and said; “Everything’s going to be okay.”
The Cross In My Pocket…
I looked at what he had handed me… a hand-carved wooden cross with a laminated verse; “The Cross In My Pocket”. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. This was my knock-upside-the-head from God.
I stayed through the service trying not to cry as I held tightly to my gift from the gentleman, knowing that he was my sign from God that everything was going to be okay.
Seventeen Years Later…
I have carried that cross and the verse in my planner for 17 years. I automatically open the planner to the front so I see that cross first before I start my day. It’s my daily reminder that as long as I’m still breathing, God’s not finished with me and I still have people I need to reach out to and help.
I love it when people see that cross and ask me about it, because then I get to tell the story of how a total stranger changed my life and my path forever.
My day planner with the wooden cross and the laminated verse, “The Cross In My Pocket”.
Who’s Life Can You Impact Today…
We all know someone who is hurting, because there is pain everywhere. There’s loneliness, grief, sorrow, physical illness and conditions, financial struggles and the list goes on. We all have the ability to give something…a smile…a hug…a listening ear…laughter…a special little gift. When someone is stuck in the darkness, whatever you give out of compassion, will make a difference in that person’s life forever. Be someone’s light.
Essential Oils Choice…
The “Feelings Kit”..
I used this kit when I first started using the essential oils to help release any emotional crap stored in my body from the abuse and the physical trauma I had gone through. Then 6 months later, felt the need to go through a second kit.
The release I felt from the past was absolutely wonderful! I was amazed! I highly recommend this kit to anyone that has gone through any emotional or physical pain.
The Feelings™ collection features six essential oil blends that inspire feelings of emotional well-being when used topically and diffused. Use in the morning and evening to promote peaceful thoughts and spiritual harmony. (The kit comes with a daily regimen on how to use the oils.)
The Feelings Collection Includes:
- Harmony™, 5 ml
- Forgiveness™, 5 ml
- Inner Child™, 5 ml
- Present Time™, 5 ml
- Release™, 5ml
- Valor II™, 5ml
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