As we age, we become less bold. At the physical extreme perhaps cliff diving has lost its appeal. In the spiritual realm maybe sharing your faith gets harder as the years go by. JAM56 student Key Coker Jr.’s story may motivate you to be bold once again.
endure for us. The rope knots symbolize how we are able to forever be joined with him in Heaven.
Key’s mother, Katherine, saw him a short time later with a cross much taller than him – six feet tall to be exact. Key dug a hole, set the cross and secured the base. And there it was: a very large wooden cross in the family’s front yard.
Key’s mom “hoped a few friends would be sweet and buy one” but the response to the email was overwhelming. Orders steadily came in until one day, the floodgates opened. Janet Denison of The Denison Forum came across the email and decided to share Key’s story on her blog.
Key was inspired to donate some of his proceeds to Kershaw’s Challenge after hearing Ellen and Clayton Kershaw speak at HPPC. The Christian organization encourages people to use their talents In January 2014, Key and members of HPPC’s Troop to make a difference and give back. Key beamed, “I 82 were sitting in the Sanctuary in uniform for Boy love baseball and am a huge Clayton Kershaw fan! Scout Sunday. As he looked at the chancel, he was I wanted to share my love of the game just like he inspired to create a cross using knot-tying skills recently learned for a Scout merit badge. After church, does so I decided to give to his Mercy Street “Field of he rounded up some wood and rope and got to work. Dreams” project [in West Dallas].”
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HIS CROSS IN OUR YARD MADE ME REALIZE THAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BOLDLY PROCLAIM OUR FAITH. Katherine Coker Key shared that he has always enjoyed symbols and how they express things without having to use words. “John 3:16 has been engraved on my heart for a long time,” he said. “So for me, the symbol of the cross is the way to share the story of God’s greatest gift.” Leading up to Easter, Key’s oversized cross received a good deal of attention from neighbors and passers-by alike. One woman drove up and asked if he could make a duplicate for her. As the new year rolled around, Key wondered if the cross he made last year could make an even bigger impact this Easter. “I asked my parents what they thought about my making crosses and selling them to our friends and neighbors. They really encouraged me,” he said. Each element of the cross has meaning to Key. The wood is a reminder of the sacrifice. The rope lashing around the wood symbolizes what Jesus chose to
JAM56 MINISTRY
A BOLD FAITH
Orders came in from all over the United States, leaving the Coker family amazed and very busy. Katherine said, “We are just in awe of how God has used a simple afternoon project for Key to share the Good News in such a big way!” The family’s trips to the lumberyard increased in frequency, as did the conversations with friends, neighbors and teachers. Key realized how God gave him an easy way to share Jesus – even with total strangers in the checkout line at Home Depot. “His cross in our yard made me realize that it is so important to boldly proclaim our faith,” Key’s mom said. “I was worried the neighborhood might have a problem with such a large statement, but Key, with a big heart and a child-like faith, marched it into the front yard for all to see. He loves the Lord and you know it!”
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