After looking for a special gift, Lindsey bought her boyfriend, Adam, a Surrender™ Cross for his birthday. Lindsey beautifully tells her story below how that cross became even more important than she imagined!
Adam and I met January 4, 2017 at Passion in Atlanta, GA. I yelled at him for directions and little did I know that wasn’t the only time he would lead me.
We began dating in March and just a few weeks later was Adam’s 21stbirthday. I had no idea what to get him. He was my first boyfriend. The only other boys I ever bought gifts for were my brothers and that consisted of Christmas boxers from American Eagle.
As I was scrolling through Instagram one day, an advertisement for RAD JOY popped up. It was a picture of a wooden cross with small pieces of paper nailed all over it. Curious to learn more, I clicked on the link to the website and discovered the Surrender Cross.
I was hooked from the moment I understood the function of the cross. I love the physical act of nailing up your burdens because it helps you truly surrender the hard things to the Lord. I immediately felt compelled to purchase it for him. Honestly, I wanted to buy myself one.
As I added the cross to my cart and proceeded to the online checkout, I was greeted by a box that asked for any prayer requests. I remember thinking that was so nice seeing that Rick and Jackie would pray over each cross they sold with their kids. If I remember correctly, I wrote down a prayer that Adam would have a safe and healthy baseball season.
I also emailed Jackie after placing the order to confirm my purchase:
“I just ordered a classic surrender cross and I am so excited! I am going to give it to my boyfriend for his birthday!!”
Little did I know, that was only the beginning.
Fast forward a year to January 2018. Adam and I head back to Passion, this time as a couple. Throughout the conference, I was praying for God to reveal a word to me that would become my motto for the year. During worship one night, the word surrender kept coming up.
A few mornings later on January 4, 2018, I was sitting with my coffee and journal asking God what exactly it was in my life that I needed to surrender to draw nearer to Him. I felt the Lord put three things on my heart to surrender: my want to be in control, the shame and fear that was silencing my voice to share His Kingdom and worldly things that trumped my desire for Him.
In the middle of journaling, there was a knock at our front door. My mom came down the hallway to my room and following her was one of my best friends who said she was there to take me to a surprise breakfast. Seeing that I was confused, she told me she felt like she didn’t get me enough for Christmas and wanted to treat me to breakfast to make up for it.
As we were wrapping up breakfast, she pulled out a canvas bag, handed it to me and told me to open it. When I reached inside and grabbed out a dark piece of wood, my heart stopped. She asked me if I knew what it was. Of course I did, I had originally purchased it – it was a piece of the Surrender Cross with a note nailed to it.
She instructed me to read the note.
To Passion I went – Through a backdoor I found – From the top of an escalator – I heard TURN AROUND!
My heart began to beat really, really fast. I looked up at my friend and she was filming me. Quite honestly, I thought Adam was going to pop out of the ceiling. This sounds so silly to say – but I had a panic attack because I had zero makeup on, bad hair and was wearing my fur vest which happens to be Adam’s least favorite clothing item of mine!
Laughing, my friend asked me if I knew what was happening. Very confidently I responded: I think I’m getting engaged today. As the day went on, I had friends take me to get my nails done, take me to lunch, and take me home to shower and get “pretty” (praise the LORD!) Each friend had an additional piece of the cut up cross with a note that described different parts of Adam and I’s journey. As I collected the cross pieces, I kept them in my canvas bag.
Throughout the day, I was feeling lots of different emotions but I couldn’t stop going back to how just that morning I was journaling about my 2018 motto being surrender and here I was gathering the pieces of a Surrender Cross. I can’t help but smile writing this knowing God is such a timely Author.
I found the final piece of the cross sitting on a bench in the middle of a beautiful garden. One of Adam’s friends who has escorted me there instructed me to take all the pieces out of the bag, assemble the cross and then read the note. As I began putting the cross together, his friend left and I was there to read the final note alone.
Well here we are – One year since our first date – I know in my heart – That you are my soulmate – Whenever you’re ready – Turn around and face me – Please say yes – As I am asking on one knee.
You better believe I turned around very quickly. As I walked up to Adam, time felt like it froze and nervously I giggled and said hi. He asked me to marry him and without any hesitation, I said yes!
Probably the first thing I mentioned after he popped the question was his use of the Surrender Cross in the proposal. I thought it was so sweet he used the gift I got him for his birthday to ask such an important question. I still wonder to this day if there will ever be another gift I give him that will top it.
But, the story doesn’t stop there.
My sweet dad suggested we use the cross as a unity piece during our wedding ceremony. I am forever grateful for that beautiful idea. My daddy passed away following a long fight with cancer about five months before our big day. So, without a doubt we were incorporating the Surrender Cross in our wedding.
Turns out we got to incorporate it in more than one way! Adam was so blessed and moved by the cross that he bought 10 small Surrender Crosses to give to his groomsmen. He wrote them each a sweet note and explained how the cross had helped him release his deepest burdens to God. We also had an artist paint us a customized wedding crest which was created to represent us. We had her paint our wedding venue, hydrangeas (the flowers Adam sent me on our first Valentine’s Day) and of course, the Surrender Cross.
My favorite use of the cross was during our ceremony. As I said, if my daddy suggested I do something - I was doing it! During the unity portion of our ceremony, Adam and I assembled the cross and prayed together. We felt that building the cross together symbolized our union as one flesh and expressed our desire to build a marriage on Christ’s love, the firmest foundation.
December 30, 2018 marked the start of our life together. In our current season of life, we are moving around frequently for Adam’s baseball career. Whenever we move, I pack a box that has all our fragile and special belongings that I guard with my life – and at the top of that box every time, without fail, is our Surrender Cross.
Guest post written by Lindsey Haseley
Lindsey's Blog - You Alone We Praise
Instagram - Lindsey Haseley and Adam Haseley
