A Place Called Calvary

I’ve heard the question a lot. "Don’t you have any sympathy cards?"

I really didn't. And it was my plan to make some during my “time off”.

Well, I got inspired and I now have the cards you need.

My husband and I have a favorite Bluegrass band called Sideline. In fact our road trip in early October was to see them in North Carolina. They performed at the Buck Stove company warehouse in a bitty little town called Spruce Pine. The road to get there was so winding that Adam had to buy some Dramamine. It was worth it. We were treated to an incredibly moving evening of 3 top notch bluegrass bands, several speakers and an amazing tribute to veterans.

The concert seemed to be a local crowd, mostly employees of the company and their friends. Everyone who talked to us seemed really surprised that we traveled "all the way from Ohio". When Adam won a door prize (and attracted a bunch of attention by screaming “booyah!” when he claimed it) I heard a person nearby murmur, “Yeah, I guess those are the ones that came from Ohio.” At the end of the evening, we approached the owner of the company and thanked him for the event (which was FREE by the way), and he said, "Oh, hey, aren't you the folks who came all the way from Ohio? Welcome! Thanks for coming!"

We felt a little sheepish, like we crashed a party. A really good party.

Anyway, Sideline performs a beautiful song called, "I Believe" (originally written by Jimmy Fortune and recorded by other artists over the years - check it out on youtube). In the middle of the twangy, craziness that is bluegrass, the lights will change and Jacob will step forward and we know to prepare ourselves for this special song. He sings so well it moves us to tears.

"I believe, there's a place called Heaven
And I believe, in a place called Calvary
I believe in a man, his name is Jesus
And I believe, he gave his life for me."

There is something about this lyric, which identifies the village of Calvary, that makes me realize that yes, this awful crucifixion really happened. They know the name of the town. People were there. They saw it. Allowed it. Watched the brutality of it.

And it got me thinking. When I looked up the word “calvary”, one of the secondary definitions was listed as, “an experience of unusually intense mental suffering”.

Human beings experience our own personal "calvary" when something awful happens. It can be a smallish thing like losing a job, a larger thing like our barn fire, or something far worst, like the tragic loss of a loved one. Or any number of things along the spectrum of life. When things are unfair, when they don’t make sense, when they take too long, or when there are no answers - a person can really suffer.

We are all witnesses to the suffering around us. We can help. Maybe say some words, mow a lawn, bring a covered dish - but sometimes we’re not close enough to the situation. We feel for the person, but the really hard work is private and is left to be sorted out between the mournful and God.

Sending a card is possibly the easiest way for a person to extend love and support without getting in the way. I understand why so many people have requested pretty sympathy cards over the years.

So I made some pretty cards. And this time I printed the inside with nice words so it’s even easier to reach out.

I’m grateful for the experience of the free concert which put certain things in my life into perspective for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be a pilgrimage but it kind of was. I’m grateful for that song. Grateful I have Adam to share it with. Grateful for my God and my freedom to worship Him.

This stationery line is humbly inspired by real events - which I didn’t witness but which certainly happened, "In a place called Calvary".

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I’m also grateful to report that I’ll be re-opening on Wednesday, November 10. It’s been a difficult summer/fall and I’ve never felt more flakey. I did my best but I just couldn’t seem to keep it together. I thank you for your patience during my closure! On Wednesday I’ll be ready to serve you this holiday season!