Lift High The Cross
Do you ever give thought to what motivates you to rise each day? What is it that makes you get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other and move through this crazy world we find ourselves in? A recent assignment to interview one of our retailers left me considering those exact questions, but with a bit of a twist by the time, the interview was over.
I was thrilled when I received the green light from my editor to go on assignment in Murrells Inlet, SC. Not only was I going to enjoy the beautiful beach, but my task was to spend some quality time with Sarah Marie “Sam” and Olivia Cox (a mother and daughter duo) and learn a little more about them and the history of their family-owned patio furniture store, Custom Outdoor Furniture, and Restrapping. I packed a picnic and my ride or die, friend, Nancy, and off we went to enjoy a little fun in the sun on Saturday before I was scheduled to meet up with Sam and Olivia on Sunday.
On Sunday morning Nancy and I were greeted by Olivia at Belin United Methodist Church, where Sam has been a member since 1988. The church sits right on the Inlet and as you enter and exit you can’t help but be awestruck by the very large and beautiful cross in front of the church that sits right along the banks of Murrells Inlet. We enjoyed joyful worship, complete with Sam singing in the choir. The hair literally stood up on my arms when the choir sang Lift High the Cross and Sam’s beautiful voice was the featured descant.
After church, I joined Sam and Olivia for lunch at one of their favorite restaurants on the breathtaking Marsh Walk. It just so happened, this is where they have each worked in years past prior to joining the family business, and it is a place where everyone knows them by name. As we sat and chatted, I learned the history of their business, but I also learned more about Sam and her personal and spiritual journey.
Sam’s parents, affectionately called, Daddy Carrol and Mama Jane, began their business at the beach in 1979. Daddy Carrol found himself without a job and needing a way to support his family. The family had a home at the beach, so he made his way there to get some direction and before long he realized there was a need for refurbishing strap lounge chairs for hotels along the Grand Strand. Mama Jane kept the books. Sam was 19 at the time and in college. Daddy Carrol started the business on the family’s front porch and it stayed there for the next 15 years.
Sam married her best friend and soulmate, Bryan, in 1984. In 1989 she gave birth to TC, “a sweet blue-eyed blonde boy”, and, in 1992, she had Olivia, “a dark-haired and dark-skinned beauty”. Sam felt like a very lucky woman. She had the perfect life and no real tragedy had ever struck her or her family. As her faith grew through the years, she realized there was no luck involved, but these gifts were true blessings from God.
In 1994, they moved the business to an abandoned open-air fruit stand. This is about the time Sam approached her father about working for the family business. She was feeling the stress of having a full-time job, and two small children. She wanted to have a little more flexibility and time with her family. Daddy Carrol agreed, and Sam began persuading him to consider taking on a few furniture lines in addition to his restrapping business.
Things were going well until 1998 when one evening Sam was closing up the open-air furniture stand and was brutally attacked and left for dead by a young couple her father had hired to work for the family business. Sam only remembers the young man asking her to make change for him. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the hospital so bruised and battered that she was almost unable to recognize herself in the mirror. Her family reported to her that the young couple had stolen everything they could get their hands on, including Sam’s vehicle. Sam does not remember it, but she believes God lifted her off of the ground that day and carried her next door for help and she knows he protected her from any major effects on her life.
With this tragedy, Daddy Carrol jumped into action and secured a new location for the business. Over the next eight months, Sam’s husband, Bryan, helped Daddy Carrol construct a safe and secure building for the family to continue their business and it is where you will still find them today. The business really began to take off and Sam’s brother, Gregg, came on board to work in the business as well. Sam’s near-death experience led the family to make changes that led to success and to a business that has grown by leaps and bounds through the years. They still restrap lounge chairs, but they carry many outdoor furniture lines as well. They have a loyal staff, and daughter, Olivia, has now come on board to lead them into the future.
Unfortunately, in 2008, tragedy struck again when Sam’s beautiful and sweet blue-eyed blonde son, TC, was killed in a car accident at the age of 19. Sam knew instantly this was the greatest loss of her life, but she also instantly knew that TC was safe in the arms of his creator, never to be harmed again. Sam leans upon Lamentations 3:32 for comfort…
For if he causes grief, then he will have compassion, according to his abundant loving-kindness.
As I sat listening to Sam, I couldn’t help but think about how not one of our tears is wasted and of Psalm 56:8…
You keep track of all my sorrows, you have collected all my tears in your bottle, you have recorded each one in your book.
As a believer, Sam knows Christ’s suffering on the cross was not wasted. She wants to walk in the footsteps of Christ and not allow her sufferings to go to waste either. She has chosen to use her sorrow and suffering for good by helping others that are grieving.
My final question to Sam was, “What makes you get up each morning and put one foot in front of the other?” Without hesitation, Sam turned to her dark-haired and dark-skinned beauty, Olivia, and said, “you”, “ you are what makes me want to get up every morning”. With that, there wasn’t a dry eye, and I immediately knew this wet behind the ears interviewer had the question all wrong. It’s not the WHAT in life that should make us get up each morning, but it’s the WHO.
As I enjoyed my drive home that afternoon, through the lush green lowcountry of South Carolina, having a daughter of my own, I found myself inspired by Sam and Olivia’s relationship. There is an obvious mother and daughter bond, but I saw something more between them that could only come from their very own life experiences. I also found myself doing an inventory of the WHO in my life, and wondering if just maybe Sam’s journey would do the same for you?