A Cross to Bear

I hate social media, but believe it is a necessary evil in today’s world. This is especially true for an author. There are times when it serves a purpose. For me, it is often the reminder of memories shared in the past. Last week I was reminded of a quote stumbled on while doing a research paper for school. It struck a cord with me, just as it did several years ago.

“Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bare proceeds the crown we wear. To be a Christian, one must take up his cross, with all of its difficulties and agonizing and tragedy-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its marks upon us and redeems to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering” – Martin Luther King Jr

The reality is we are not promised a life of ease, or one free of suffering. Many of you reading this know this all too well. The struggles of life as a parent of a special needs child is often full of struggles. We all face a choice when life happens and we are faced with the unthinkable. When the suffering and trials come, do we rejoice as being counted worthy or do we get angry with God?

Trust me, rejoicing in the hospital or funeral home is not easy. In fact, it is absolutely impossible when we try to do it on our own. There are days where there is no joy at all. But God is good to remind me that He is still faithful even when the pressures of life seem to be too much to bear.

On the other hand, what do we do when life is going our way and everything seems good? Are we quick to shy away from those who are suffering?

After the Roman soldiers beat and mocked Jesus, He was led away to be crucified. The literal cross He bore was too much for the human beaten human body to carry to the crucifixion site, so they forced a man named Simon to carry the cross for Jesus. I doubt at the time Simon understood the significance of this task. He simply did it because he had no choice.

The cross many of us bear is a heavy burden. It often becomes more than we can manage. Many of us are longing for a Simon to carry it for a little while. So, what do we do when the Holy Spirit prompts us to carry another person’s cross? Do we jump in and shoulder the burden, or do we look away?

It is not easy to take on someone else’s burden, especially when we have our own to carry. For a Christian, we have no option. Jesus took the ultimate burden off our shoulders, taking the cross that was too heavy for us to bear on His shoulders. To bear someone else’s cross for a few hours is a small price to pay.

One day we will be able to trade this cross for a crown.