So I'm a little peeved. I have never heard of this man, Arthur Blessitt. Have you? Yesterday, while lounging by my friend's pool, we were discussing what we could do that night since we had it off. She mentioned this movie, The Cross, and asked if we wanted to go see it. I thought, "Hey, if it's about Jesus, count me in!" None of us really knew what it would be about except a man who carried a cross across the world. Interesting, eh? I thought so.
We sit down in the theater (only a few other people were there- go figure, all the others must have been at Fast and Furious. LAME!) The movie begins and honestly, I was like, Who is this guy? Not in the quizzical, wonderingly way. More like, he's wearing a denim shirt with darker jeans, he looks kind of like a hilbilly, and I'm not so sure this is going to be worth $8.50.
Lord, please forgive my judgements.
I totally fell in love with this man! He's 68, and still to this day carries his cross from the 60's around Sunset Blvd in LA handing people stickers that say "God loves you," and meeting people where they are. It was so simple, so humble, so powerful.
It's basically a documentary of his life. He has carried the cross to ALL nations- yes, you read that right, ALL NATIONS. And not by boat, not by train, he has WALKED across the world with a wooden cross over his shoulder.
There is no way I can explain to you the power of his life and testimony- please, please, PLEASE go see his movie. I will share one of the most touching stories for me, I don't want to give too much away!
He was walking through the junlge in Panama. I forgot the name of it, but no one has ever made it through alive. God miraculously saved his life many many times, so he had no fear about this country. His two friends who were going to help with supplies and filming bailed out a couple days before they were to enter the jungle. I would be P.O.'d, to put it litely. But this sweet, sweet man said that he so enjoyed the company of Jesus- He was all he needed. And the only person who spoke English!
When he came upon a certain village, he felt the Holy Spirit tell him to do a drama of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He obviously could not speak the language, so he started to stretch out his arms and make motions. He pointed to the cross, he pointed to himself and the people, and he pointed to the sky. He began to weep and pray that these people would somehow, by the power of God, understand what he was trying to communicate. As he looked out into the faces of the people, he saw that some were also weeping. He walked over to the kids and said "Je-sus!" and then moved their mouths to form His name, and soon they were all saying, "Jesus! Jesus!" and the adults caught on, too, and Arthur left that village hearing the name of Jesus being praised and proclaimed!
Now that made me cry.
It is moving, it is challenging, it is beyond inspirational. His main message, though, is not about the cool things that He saw happen, or the crazy and wild places he survived. He says that he did not go into places like the Panamanian jungle so that he would have a story- he went because there are PEOPLE in there.
Wow.
By the end of the movie he just sits by his cross and sobs. His heart, his love for this God, is so overwelming. He says that all he hopes to be is Jesus' donkey- a man humbled by grace, used for the purposes of God, made low so that Jesus may be glorified and lifted up.
It is a message that convicted me to the core, and made me fall on my face because my heart is so unpure and self-seeking.
If you, like me, are nothing more than a sinner saved by grace, who loves Jesus and wants to follow Him with everything in you, then you will be so blessed by Arthur's story.
I will even give you $8.50 to go see it. And that's a promise!
No comments:
Post a Comment