At the start of 2007 I began attending Gosen Christian Centre in Treorchy. I promised myself I would go with an open mind. A few weeks later Mal Holland, the pastor, said he had wanted to have a cross made for the Church. He showed me a plank of wood and made a remark that I was a carpenter. I dismissed what he said and even though I do woodcarving I said that I would throw the plank away, and that was that (or was it?). I kept on attending Gosen looking, searching and praying but nothing was coming my way. A while later Pastor Mal preached a gospel message and asked if anyone wanted to come forward and pray the sinners prayer to know Jesus, I did not move. Afterwards my wife said, “I thought you were going to the front tonight” I said, “I nearly did, but do you know how far 15 feet can be when your legs don’t want to work?” The following week I responded to the message and went out to the front and Pastor Mailed me in the sinners prayer to receive Jesus into my heart.
After that there was a change in my life and every time I went into Gosen I found myself looking at the empty place where the cross should be, which I nicknamed ‘The Hole’. The Lord laid it on my heart to make a cross to put there and I later told Pastor Mal I was getting the wood to make the cross. Every time I went to church my eyes were drawn to the spot where it was to go. I now had the vision and provision to make it which I planned to do at the various wood carving demos that I do. However, with the wet Summer things were going slow and several shows were cancelled. Then I had a two day show at Oxford University, (Harwood Arboretum) so I set out to finish the cross at this weekend.
Whilst carving the cross I was asked if I was making a crucifix, in a low voice with my head down I replied, “We believe that Jesus was crucified on the
Paul Davies with the cross he made for the Gosen Chapel in Treorchy.
cross for our sins. He died and rose again and is alive, therefore He cannot be on the cross, so the answer is no.” I was asked this same question over and over again by various people and I gave the same reply. Only now I was getting bolder and louder to share about Jesus and after one reply a shout went up from the rear of the crowd, “Praise the Lord!” I was now being used of God to witness about Jesus even whilst making the Cross.
Now the cross is finished and fitted into place at Gosen Chapel in Treorchy.
Then the full and awesome truth hit me. I had made a cross, which is no big thing, but then I remembered, I had made no template, taken no measurements, I hadn’t even measured the cross and neither had I measured the place where it was to hang. No measurements; no design and yet it fitted absolutely perfectly. Then on September 30th the Lord spoke to my heart. “It’s my measurements, it’s my design. I put the ability into your hands to carve it and this is your testimony.” It’s now hanging in Gosen for all to see, a constant reminder that Jesus was crucified on the cross for us all. My wife had been praying for eighteen years for me to come to know the Lord and her cousin Alun had recently come to know Jesus. I wanted that peace they had with God and through attending Gosen I found Him, and you can too.
The hole now filled with the cross. A constant reminder of the height, depth and breadth of God’s love for us in Jesus.