A Smaller Cross

A Smaller Cross	Next Chapter: A Very Dangerous Person
I have yet to meet a person with whom I would trade my troubles. Although my problems seem almost overwhelming at times, everyone else’s problems always seem to be greater—even those people who appear to have a "blessed" life. You know the people I mean—the people with the better homes, the more important job, the happier marriage and more wonderful kids. However if you look deep enough, often they have had or are having problems in some way—problems that I would not want to have. Maybe this little story I heard from a friend will explain it better… One day a man complained to God that his cross was too big and heavy. God took the man to a large warehouse with a small entrance door and said, "Go inside and leave your cross by the door. Inside you will find crosses of many different sizes and shapes. Take whichever one you like." "Wow," the man thought, "this is more like it." So, leaving his cross just inside the door, he went into the huge warehouse. Inside were hundreds of crosses. And, yes, some were bigger than the others, but even the smallest one he could find was much bigger than the cross he had been carrying. After searching through all the crosses for several hours, the man headed back towards the door in disappointment. Nearing the door, in a darkened corner, he saw a small cross. It was smaller than any other cross he had found in the entire warehouse. Joyfully he picked it up and carried it through the door to show it to God. "See what I found!" he cried joyfully as he approached God. "It is just the right size for me. I can carry this cross." "I’m glad you can handle it," God replied. "That is the same cross you brought here."
Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NLT)
Lord, forgive me when I balk and complain about the size of my cross. Help me to realize that you have made my cross the perfect size to fit me that I might bear it joyfully for you. Amen.
Questions for consideration... What size is my cross? Is it too big or too small for me? If my cross is too big for me, what can I do about it? Is my cross the same size it was 5, 10 or more years ago? What size do I expect it to be in the future? When I see someone struggling with their cross, how can I help? Should I ever offer to help carry someone else’s cross?