The "A Cross To Bear" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And … A Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates this Christian holiday.  I recently traveled to nearby Columbia, Pennsylvania and discovered a rather unusual "find" in an antique shop along the Susquehanna River.  It was what appeared to be a crucifix from a forgotten church.  

Inside of the antique store in Columbia, PA.

I took a photo of it  as it appeared in the store and then tried a few other angles of the crucifix, knowing I would use it for the main photo on my Easter story.  Just loved the carved crucifix and the lighting I was able to get from the overhead ceiling lights.  Well, after family members have been to Easter services today, they will begin to arrive for Easter dinner at our house.  We expect a dozen people for our annual ham dinner which consists of baked ham, scalloped potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, browned carrots, grape salad, pineapple stuffing, cranberry sauce, potato rolls and Carol's Banana Split Dessert.  The family dinner always begins with a prayer that has been taken from my father's little prayer book titled "Grace Before Meals" for as long as I can remember.  

Directly inside the book is written Paul H. Woods, Christmas 1962.  The book has been used hard over those 54 years that he has owned it.  For years he read the prayer for the day and when he passed a few years ago, I began to read the prayer.  Every so often one of my grandkids will read the prayer, but they are getting "too old" for that now, so I have taken over once again.  The booklet is a daily prayer book with extra prayers for special occasions.  Needless to say, this is a special occasion and the prayer will go like this today:  This day, O Christ, we celebrate Thy victory over death.  Bring to us new life of body through this nourishment, and new life of soul by Thy presence with us now an help us to say with Thy servant of old, "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Amen.  From my family to your family, we wish you a Joyous Easter.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.