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Tom praying for Ventura at Surfer's Knoll

On Mother’s Day weekend, 2009 and after a successful cross-walking  safari in Santa Barbara, Jeanette and I drove 25 miles south to Ventura and  parked at the city’s beautiful Ventura Harbor. Directly across from the Harbor is Surfer’s Knoll, a favorite surfing spot for local surfers. We had spent a long time in Santa Barbara and it was fast approaching dusk.

Hoisting up the long cross at the Surfer’s Knoll sign, we prayed for the city of Ventura, that the God of revival would pour out His Spirit upon the city’s 97,000 residents and catch them in the prayer dragnet  we were building with our prayer of faith.

The sight of the long cross hoisted upright at the entrance to Surfer’s Knoll drew a lot of attention from those passing by and from those who were on the beach.

Oh The Wondrous Cross: God’s Plus Sign To Ventura

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When I survey the wonderful cross

One couple from Chicago and on assignment from a major  insurance company to help the Jesusita Fire victims shared that they were Christians and wondered what we were doing. They had never seen a cross-walker. As Jeanette and I spoke with them, their spirits fired up and came alive. Their excitement was noticeable by all. These two believers were surprised that there were Christians living in California!

We explained the purpose of the cross-walk and had a long and joyful conversation with these two believers from the Windy City.

Cars filled with people passed by and honked or waved, and I couldn’t help but notice the beauty of the ocean scene at dusk even though the horizon was filled with smoke from the Santa Barbara fire. After we finished talking with our new friends from the East, I hoisted the cross upright next to the sand dunes and facing the ocean and the setting sun and prayed.

The Cross, Marriage and Proposition Eight

Darkness came quick so we walked back to the Harbor and  was about to load up the cross on the “go-ye-mobile” when an excited voice caught my attention. “I thought that was a cross!” a man’s voice declared. He quickly introduced himself after shaking my hand.

Bob owns a limousine and he was waiting for two young couples who were at the Harbor and celebrating their high school graduation. Parked  a couple of spaces from our truck  and taking up two entire spaces was Bob’s stretch limousine. We talked for twenty or more minutes about the Lord and Cross Walk California. We learned that Bob is also a trucker and is married and living in Los Angeles. What he shared next was exciting.

 Bob brought up the subject.  Both he and his wife are  very pro traditional marriage and for Proposition Eight. Of course Jeanette and I are too. With California  Supreme Court justices about to render a verdict on the validity of Proposition Eight, Bob wanted to pray that the constitutional admendment would stand. So we prayed.

A phone call came from the two high school couples and Bob had to pick them up and take them to another destination. We said our good-byes and  I secured the long cross in the truck bed and against its cab. Jeanette and I then bought a couple of ice cream cones from one of the Harbor’s numerous stores and walked the entire waterfront, talking about the cross-walk and enjoying the presence of the Lord and each other after a  very long day.

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Bob the limousine man meets Tom the cross man

Although we did not cross-walk the downtown area and pray at the government buildings this day, we’ll be back to do so very soon. Ventura happens to be one of our favorite places to visit. We know the city like the palm of our hands. The people have always been friendly. Just like the people of Bakersfield, they need the Lord. And that is our prayer, that widespread revival takes place, not only at Surfer’s Knoll and Surfer’s Point, but throughout the entire city.  We also know that, because we hoisted the cross and prayed this day, Ventura won’t be the same tomorrow!