The Lost Cross

Last fall, Landon was given a very beautiful gift from his grandparents. A cross necklace. But not just any cross necklace, a cross necklace made out of his Grandpa’s class ring. You can see how special it was to him. He immediately began wearing it. At first, Steve and I were thinking–that’s a really big cross. Like his “neck is going to get heavy” big. Ha! But as you can see, Landon loved it. He treasured it and wore it every day that he could. It even made front and center in our family pictures.

As much as Landon was wearing this gift, we began to get nervous. Basketball had started which meant the responsibility factor increased as it was not something he could practice in or play in for that matter. Knowing he wanted to wear it daily, we trusted him to take care of it. I remember it specifically sitting on our bar where Landon had been eating just hours before. I cleaned around it and left it there not thinking too much about it. Days later when Landon asked me what I had done with it {insert an incredibly big eye roll here, which I did in real time} I had no clue where it could have gone. I remember very clearly how deliberate I was in leaving it exactly where he had left it. In the coming weeks, we talked through all of the places it could be—searching his locker, room, car, you name it. It was no where to be found.

We all believed he misplaced it and it would appear when we would least expect it. However, months passed. I did a deep dive into his vehicle, which was interesting to say the least. I did find things that we didn't know were lost. Stanley cups, letters from the school, schedules, and a variety of socks that most definitely matched the basket of lone soldiers in my laundry room.

Months later we are in deep with all of the fun of our basketball ending, beginning track season, planning graduation, and all that May entails. I had prayed about finding the necklace on multiple occasions. Talking with Steve one night we discovered that each of us had scoured his room looking for the cross. In his jacket and pant pockets, in his shoes (that was a feat in itself—no pun intended!), behind the bed and everywhere in between. We decided that for a graduation gift, we would get him another cross necklace. It would not be the same. The meaning in the one from Grandpa just could not be replicated. However, that is what we decided to do.

Here’s the crazy thing. We made the decision to go look for a new necklace. Both Steve and I work in the same town a couple of days a week and have a favorite jewelry store we use. This was going to be an easy task among the other grad prep items we were checking off the list. Each day I was scheduled to work and Steve was in town we made a plan to meet. And each day we had the plan, something threw it off. Every day! Each time. We could not make it happen and ultimately made a plan for another graduation gift.

The hustle and bustle of school ending, a regional track meet, and grad prep brought us to some organization of all the things the day before graduation. Steve and I were in the kitchen frustrated with all of the lunch bags Landon brought home from school. Honestly, if I were to find any dishes or food that was left in a bag that had an odor? That bag was done for. I’d throw it out. Thankfully, Steve took charge and there was no bad food in any of them. Just lots of napkins, wrappers, and in one zippered pouch… was the cross necklace.

It may have been a bit dramatic, that morning standing there in the kitchen when the lost was found. Steve may have run down the stairs to wake Landon up much earlier than Landon had preferred. But the joy! But God. He answered yes to our prayers of pleading to find the necklace. The roadblocks to meshing our schedules to get to that jewelry store for another cross? Well, that was obviously God too. He is in the details and we are so very thankful He cares about these little things in our lives.