THE OLD

RUGGED CROSS
A children's story book

Robert Kayanja
Illustrations: Stella & Kevin Musungu
 The Old Rugged Cross - A Children’s Story Book
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
COPYRIGHT ROBERT KAYANJA

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part or by any

other means without the prior written permission of the author.
1st Edition printed, 2019

This book is not for sale

 Introduction
I was once a small seed who was put in the ground. I was planted in a nursery.
After a few days, I grew into a small plant. I was then taken to the forest where I
grew into a tall tree. One day, some men came and cut me down to pieces. They
then made me into a log and joined me into a cross. Since then, my name
became the Old Rugged Cross. This book will tell you my story.

2
 A little plant grows
Once upon a time, a small seed was planted in a beautiful garden. As time
passed, the seed grew up into a little tree, with tiny leaves, small branches
and a tiny stem. As the tree grew taller, it noticed that around it were large
plants with more leaves. These leaves covered the little plant and this
meant that it could not get any sun rays. The little tree was not happy that
the large trees took all the sunlight and used up all the garden space.

One day the tall trees said to the little one, "If you need to grow tall and
strong like us, you need strong roots". "Why do I need strong roots?" the little
tree asked. The large trees said to the little tree, "Roots have access to
water in the ground and the more water you take, the stronger you will
grow. Do you hear us little tree?" So the little tree dug its roots so deep into
the ground to get as much water as it could. Soon, the tree was able to
stretch its leaves to reach the sunlight and to sway them wherever the wind
blew. The little tree was becoming a big tree.
 A special tree
As the little tree sunk its roots deeper into the soil to get more water, it grew
stronger and taller each day. It became a large tree, with a purpose in the
garden. Many animals such as snakes, gorillas, chimpanzees and baboons
slept under the tree. Squirrels climbed and played on top of the tree. The tree
was a home to all animals. They run up the tree whenever someone came
after them. Birds built nests on the tree and kept their babies there. The tree
felt special. It was happy that all these creatures found comfort around it. In
other parts of the garden, the other trees were being cut down for wood. The
wood was used to make doors, beds, tables and chairs. This made the large
tree very sad.
 They cut me down
One day, I was swaying my leaves and enjoying the sunlight, when the
tree next to me fell onto the ground. The tree fell so heavily that its thorny
branches scratched all other trees around it, including myself. It was horrible
to see one of our tree friends being broken to pieces and scratched by
thorns. From that time, I hated anything thorny. I decided not to grow
thorns.

My dream was to be used to do something great. Something that many

people found special. Sadly, on a cold gloomy day, I was cut down. Before I
fell on the ground, I heard a sound from the wood cutter say , "This one should
be cut next." When the axe finally cut through my thick stem, I fell down.
The tiny birds that lived in the nests on my branches also fell down. It was
such a terrible day.
 I became a log
I was not a tree any more after they cut me down. I was cut into a log. I was
dragged from the garden and taken to the warehouse. While at the warehouse,
my bark was removed. I was cut with tools which chopped me into big
pieces. The people who cut me picked two strong pieces that came from me
and put them in the warehouse. They then said, "These logs are very strong. We
will use them for a big job one day." I had no idea what the pieces I had been
cut into would be used for. I guessed they would use them to make a fishing
boat, a bench for the park or maybe legs for chairs. I kept on guessing.

After staying in the warehouse for a long time, I was dragged to a workshop.
While at the workshop, people drilled two big holes in the centre of each log.
Using a sharp screw, they joined both logs at the centre to make a shape
that did not make sense to me. The shape looked like a plus sign(+)

6
 I was made into a cross
I heard people say that I was made into a cross. The plus sign(+) was called
the cross. I found out that the cross was a thing on which people were
punished for breaking the law or for being very nasty. I was not proud to be
this thing. My dream was to be crafted into a well curved door, a table, a
chair or a bed - something that people wanted to have in their houses,
something that was treasured. Not a cross. This really upset me. The plan was
to hang a wounded man on me. A man whom I believed did nothing wrong,
yet everyone else thought He was a trouble maker.

7
-----------------�------------------1-

He wore a thorny crown

Earlier on, I told you about my tree friend who fell down and scattered all his
thorns. Well, someone had picked up the thorns from the ground and made
a crown out of them. I saw the thorny crown placed on the innocent man and I
was placed on His Shoulders. This made me sad. The man was called different names. Some
people called Him a liar while others called Him Friend, King and Healer. There were some
soldiers who teased Him, spat on Him, beat Him up and pulled His hair and beard off. His
scalp and body were left bleeding, yet He still carried me. I felt safe around Him. I felt His
grip as He held me so closely. I felt His pain but it was okay to be with Him. He
continued to lift me as we walked. So much blood gushed down His body but
He did not scream. He bore all the pain so that He could help all people.
This man was a Super Hero.

8
 My Friend was bruised
As time passed, I feared that my Friend who carried me was in a lot of trouble.
He was being shouted at and pushed around all the time. They continued beating
Him up. When they missed, the whips landed on me. They forced Him to carry me yet
I was too heavy for His weak body. At the same time, two other friends of mine who
were shaped like a cross were also being dragged by two other men. They kicked,
pushed, spat, shouted and screamed at my Friend so much that they wanted Him
dead.
He held me tight and never dropped me as we
climbed up a hill. I believed we were going to a
special place. When I looked back, I saw a lot of
blood staining the path. I was thirsty as we went
up the hill. I had no roots so I did not
have any water in me. I was covered
in the blood on my Friend's back.
His head was pierced so badly that
you could hardly see His scalp. I no
longer felt thirsty. His blood made me alive
again, even when all my leaves and roots
were gone. His sweat was more than the
water I ever took while in the garden.
-,�------------------�------------------,,
-

He was losing His life

I felt protected by my Friend. He took the whips for me. He wouldn't let the
angry men beat me up. I appreciated Him for looking after me and taking me
out of the warehouse. He rescued me from being eaten by termites. I
suddenly heard Him gasp for air. I asked Him if He was alright. He told me that I was
too heavy for Him to carry but He was trying so hard to lift me until we reached
the hill. He promised not to leave me behind, even though He was losing all His
energy. His voice became weak and His heart beat fast.

The people continued screaming at Him saying words like "Kill Him!". It was then
that I discovered that He was forced to carry me so that they can hang Him
on me. He started fainting. He was soon losing His life and most of His blood had
spilled on the stony dusty road. Before He dropped me, a stranger passed by and
offered to help Him carry me. This stranger carried me because my Friend was
tired. His hands were rough and he dragged me most of the time. The angry
men who whipped my Friend ordered Him to pick me up and keep on walking.
He had no energy left at all. He could hardly walk.

•
 While on Calvary Hill
This stranger had nothing to give to me. His job was to take me to the hill on which my
Friend would be hanged. I was about to be placed on a hill, in a deep hole so that I
am able to stand firmly enough to carry my friend. When we arrived at Calvary Hill,
my Friend took me from the stranger's shoulder. The ugly men pushed me on the
ground. So many people from all around gathered to see what was happening. This
was my moment to be seen by everyone. They all watched closely. I was about to
do what I was created to do.
My Friend then lay on top of me and
struggled to breath. I felt His naked
wounds touch me. He was in so much
pain. Then an ugly man stretched out
both of His hands and drove the first
nail through. I felt the nail pierce
through His hand to me.
The second nail pierced through
.
the other hand and we were
now joined together, He and I.
While this was happening,
another angry soldier shouted
out "crucify Him." My Friend
screamed in pain. I felt both
nails pierce through His palms
and cut through my skin

11
 I felt His pain
I felt the piercing through my entire body. It was a kind of cut that I had not
felt before. I was left shaking as my Master and Friend, whose name I later
found out was Jesus, groaned. After His hands were joined to me, the killers
joined His feet together and hit the last nail through them. They laughed out
loud and celebrated over what they had just done. I was present to see the
price that was paid to set people free from sin. I tasted His flesh, sucked His
blood and felt the touch of His broken and tender body.

A tree from the forest who appeared like a rough beam, joined to make a
cross was put together with holy hands that had no sin. I carried Jesus as He
lay down on me. He placed His beaten, broken and torn back on my rough
surface. I had no idea that I would one day carry a man of this importance.
At this moment, a dry piece of wood such as me, was carrying the most
precious Gift that God ever gave to the people of the world.

Galatians
2:20

12
Given a new name
My best Friend gave me a new name. I was now
called the cross of Jesus Christ. I was no longer a
thick piece of wood. When the nails pierced
through His body and went through me, I was
tortured with Him. After hanging Him up, a
crown of thorns was placed on His weak head.
The nails forced me to lift Him up for the whole
world to see. Lifting Him up made me so
happy. I couldn't drop Him because He did not
leave me behind on our way to Calvary Hill.

He carried me out of the warehouse. It was my

turn to hold onto Him and show Him that I loved
Him. He brought me up to a place that no other
tree had ever been. I stood tall and strong
above every tree, above every log.
 They were forgiven
After placing us in a deep hole, the killers tied thick ropes onto the ground and
joined them onto me, to lift both of us up. My Friend bent His knees as blood
and water filled up His lungs and stomach. I thought He would fall off me and hit
the ground hard. They carried both of us up. I felt such a sense of joy, carrying the
Son of the Living God, the Saviour of the universe. People from every nation,
town, village and city gathered at Calvary to see the Son of God carried up high
by the cross.

My Friend was quiet throughout the torture. He was like a little lamb who was led
to the slaughter and made no noise. He was not angry. He was at peace. He
was gracious. He forgave those who tortured Him. He was losing His life as they
stripped Him naked. He cried out and asked why His Father in heaven had left
Him alone. Before He took His last breath, He said to His Father in heaven, "Forgive
them. They don't know what they are doing."

Luke
23:34
 I did not leave Him alone
As a tree, I figured out what the human beings were doing. They cut me down
and put me in the warehouse. They wanted to make me a chair or a bed. They
often cut us down when they wanted to make something. They beat up and
bruised an innocent man who believed they did not know what they were
doing. As my Friend, Jesus took His last breath, I held Him closely and waited for
the people around Him to take Him down I promised not to drop His dead body.
That fall would have broken His body to pieces.
As I struggled to stand straight and hold Him up, an
earthquake suddenly shook the ground. Everyone
feared and ran away from us. Jesus' friends also ran
away and left us alone. On hearing the sound
of the earthquake, one man said that Jesus
was truly the Son of God.

Mathew
27:54
 H

-The END-