This was originally posted March 31, 2012 and she still stands.
Oh, how I love that old cross and what it stands for.
Finally, after many years of wanting to do this, I got it done.
I hired a strong young man to help.
We dug around in the piles old beams from the barns and found the longest one. We then found a cross bar beam and notched the two to fit together.
My daughter-in-law joined in and helped to find bolts long enough to bolt the two together. It took us a couple of tries and then Son #2 joined in and found the right ones.
Son #4 was recruited to find nuts for the bolts but the bulk of the work was done by Barrett Mills.
We drilled a spot for the three nails to be placed, the nails in his hands, and feet. Even though I knew you would not see them from the road, I wanted them in there. We used 10 inch nails.
The second day, I draped and stapled the material on the cross.
Then, we loaded shovels into the back of the truck and drove out to the sand pit which is located on a main road. The spot we placed the cross has 1000s of cars that drive by.
Barrett dug the hole and we went back to get the cross and some help to put it up. There was no way I was going to be able to help him carry it up the hill and stand it in place.
So, Son #4 was wrangled in again.
Barrett and Son #4 carried it up the hill, placed it and packed the dirt around the base.
The material had gotten tangled up in the drive out to the pit and the gale force winds didn't help much. Son #4 climbed up on the bottom nail and did his best to untangle.
All in all, I love the visual. My hope is that everyone that glances, stops or notices the cross will think about the sacrifice made.
We all get so busy living our "blessed" lives that we forget the reason why we are so blessed. Nothing happens or comes to us without being delivered from God's hand.
So, as Easter approaches, let's take a few extra minutes to ponder, think on, muse, contemplate and consider our source of blessings.
Come back on Easter - if all goes well, there will be a transformation on the cross.
