Ever since Resurrection Sunday this year I’ve been continually struck by this reality: Because Jesus lives we’ve got hope and we’ve got work to do.
Because Jesus really is alive—not spiritually or existentially alive as some would say—not only does the Church of Jesus Christ have hope—for the next life and this life—we’ve got a whole lot of resurrection work to do. Right now. This moment.
We are called on by King Jesus Himself to make every moment count
by making our mark.
With that said, allow me to introduce you to Jenny Cross.
Jenny is this amazing, strong woman in my church community who is making her mark, even after a devastating loss a few short days after Christmas.
Jenny lost her 34-year-old husband to a 16-month battle with cancer at the end of 2012. Through his battle and death she modeled how to care for people in pain and was steadfast, resilient in the face of suffering. And she continues to do whatever it takes to make her mark in order to stomp out cancer—a devastating part of this world that isn’t supposed to be.
She and I appeared in a recently published book, What’s Your Marks?—a book by celebrity photographer and social artist Jeremy Cowart. The book is the Book of Mark with a number of “mark maker” stories.
Jenny is a mark maker.
She recognizes that in light of the hope of Jesus’ resurrection, not only does she have hope—for her life and her husband—she’s got a whole lot of work to do.
Which is why she’s making every moment count. Here is her story:
Jenny Cross appears to be an everyday, normal woman: she’s a mom, a daughter, a friend, a colleague, a crafter. She’s also a recent widow. She has a stronger faith and heart for God than most people in her situation would have. She stands firm on the truth that everything in life happens for a reason. A reason that we may not understand or want to accept. She has learned that even if we don’t understand what happens, we have to learn and make the best of it. And we have to do Whatever It Takes.
To this day, she doesn’t understand why her husband, a young father of two, heard the words “you have a cancer.” Those few words changed her life forever. As she and Andy walked into the cancer center, they saw so many people walking down a similar path. They decided to do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to stop cancer once and for all.
Andy passed away at the end of 2012. A heartbreaking experience, but his legacy lives on as Jenny fights to do Whatever It Takes to beat cancer, and to make somebody’s heart smile for a moment in this journey. It is in this selfless love, joy, and the light she radiates to everyone around that is the mark she is making on her friends, her family, her children.
“Whatever It Takes” was the Cross family moto during their battle with cancer. It’s continued to mark her life and her twin boys’ lives as they continue working to raise money for cancer research and stand side-by-side with others suffering with this evil.
So what’s your mark? How are you making every moment of this life count for King Jesus’ resurrection purpose? Right now? In this moment?
As we saw last week, you are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for you to do. So what’s that one thing you’ve been called, sent, empowered to do by King Jesus Himself to make your mark? Not for the sake of building your brand or making a name for yourself.
For the sake of God’s glory and common good of your world?
Because Jesus lives you’ve got hope. And that also means you’ve got a whole lot of mark-making work to do. Your mark matters. Your life matters.
Now go and make every moment count. Just like Jenny.
PS—Tell us your mark-making story in the comment section for a chance to win a copy of the What’s Your Marks? book. Contest closes at 5:00 pm on Friday, May 31, 2013.
