Test Of Faith?

[TroySnider]

Thursday night, October 7th, 2004....

My wife, Brother-n-law and myself were outside enjoying the weather about 10pm talking about various topics when we saw a man walk up from the shadows and lay a heavy object down on our front lawn. We couldn't see what the object was because he laid it down in the shadows. The man looked like he worked in construction as he wore those orange vests with reflector stripes on it. He came up our drive and said he had been walking for about 6 hours and wanted to know if he could borrow our water hose to fill up his water bottle. I said "sure, take what you need". I turned on the water, he filled his water bottle up and washed his face and head. He came back to us and said "Thank you very much and may God bless you." I turned off the water and when I turned around, he had picked up the object off the ground and started up the road. When he had hit the lit area from our front porch light, we saw the object he had picked up. It was a big wooden cross. That gave us MAJOR goose bumps. We yelled out "Would you like us to give you a ride?" He responded, "I just live up the road a little ways but thank you." About 5-10 minutes had gone by as we were talking amounst ourselves and I thought to myself, "Hey, these seats fold down, that cross will fit in our car." I got into the car and about 1/8 to 1/4 of a mile I stopped the man and told him that he could put the cross in the car, that the seats fold down and to please allow me to take him home. He answered, "I have my own cross to bear but God bless you any way."

Did Jesus stop by my house? Is God testing my faith? Or is there someone trying to prove a point? Any which way I still have goose bumps from that night and will tell whoever I can that at any time, God can visit you and you would not even know it. God tests everyone's faith one way or another. Keep your eyes open and always help those you can who are in need. I did this deed out of the goodness of my heart, not to say "There's another mark in the book of life of good deeds I've done." It's not about that at all. It's about love to your fellow brother, friend, enemy, whoever. Shine your light to let the whole world know of your father's love by showing that love to other people. May God bless you all.

[2nd Timothy]

Interesting story Troy....that is very odd.

Thanks for sharing....and welcome to CU!

Grace and Peace!

[TroySnider]

Thank you for the welcome.

Yes, it was very odd.  I've talked to other people on other boards, face to face and on the phone about my encounter and a small few have said that in the news they have seen a man carrying cross across country but that he was in his late 40's early 50's.  The man that stopped by my house last Thursday night was about my age (32-33 or so).  This may have been a test of faith by God, it may have been that this guy may have taken this verse out of the Bible literally, spiritually AND physically instead of just spiritually.  The verse is:

Matthew 16v24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

But it was an experience I will never forget.  It may have been just a man taking that verse the way I described or it could have actually been either an angel or Jesus himself.  I'm not saying it was Jesus but just the way this man was so humble, pure, kind and when I looked into his eyes, I saw compassion and love.

[2nd Timothy]

Well, I would just say, Jesus carried His cross already.  He also said when you heard of folks saying "there He is", or "He is in the dessert" do not go.  

I would tend to agree with you on, that someone may have taken a verse out of context.   Christ will descend from Heaven with a shout....thats the appearace I am looking for.

Interesting story non-the-less.

Grace and Peace!

[Brother Love]

LOOKING UP

[sincereheart]

I don't know where you live, but there are 'Cross Walkers' out there.  

Garlin Newton, "The Cross Walker," has walked 3,000 miles for Jesus and is still going strong!
....................................
Some of his walks that have received national media coverage are a 700-mile walk from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Littleton, Colorado. His longest walk was 1,100 miles from Little Rock, Arkansas to Washington, D.C. Garlin has been on the front page of more than 100 newspapers, such as the Denver Post, and his story also has been told by USA Today, on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Trinity Broadcasting Network's "Praise The Lord" program.

"I walk when and where God tells me," Garlin said.

http://www.thecrosswalker.com/index.html

From an atheist site:

Cross-Carrying Street Evangelists?
by Edward T. Babinski

http://edwardtbabinski.us/religion/cross_evangelist.html

Joshua, my son, and I went to the Philippines to carry the cross in 1982. We began in Manila the capital.This was to be Joshua's first time carrying his own cross. He had walked with me many times during his life, but now God had called him to carry his own cross. We had carried the crosses to Luccena and were now on a boat.

http://www.arthurblessitt.com/journal/philippines.html

There are lots more.....