Since I’m told that Ocala is the horse capital of the world, it seems only fitting that I spend a little time in the vicinity of horses.  I wasn’t a farm girl, so didn’t have the opportunity to get “up close and personal” with our equine friends.  But the World Equestrian Center is an awesome place where I can watch competitions and walk along the brick roadways next to horses that tower over me. 

The Center includes a beautiful white chapel, all new but in a traditional New England design.  The interior is all white, except for gorgeous stained-glass windows at the front and back.  On a recent trip I saw a basket near the entrance filled with small wooden crosses.  I was intrigued and stopped to read about them.

They appeared handmade, the wood smoothed and rounded to a size that easily fit in the palm of my  hand.  I learned that they were Caring Crosses, individually carved from a single, unique piece of beautifully grained olive wood pruned from the olive trees around Bethlehem. Olive tree roots grow deep, and they surprisingly thrive in the desert.  Bethlehem has some of the oldest olives trees and the wood is considered sacred, symbolizing peace.

The olive tree is a beautiful symbol of our relationship with God.  God’s holy “root” is planted within our hearts when we accept Jesus as our Messiah, and we are grafted into His family.  Apparently Christian artisans have been carving crosses like these for hundreds of years, originally for pilgrims and more recently for tourists visiting the Holy Land.  Now, through Caring Crosses, each craftsman receives a fair price to support their family and Christian community.

As suggested, I will use my small cross as an aid to prayer or meditation, a reminder to ease the fears of children and comfort the sick and elderly.  What a lovely reminder of God’s unconditional love, as I simply set out to see the horses.

Judy