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'10 Minutes Peace' from Susan McGrath
Originally posted on 04/09/2009

Can I Carry Your Cross?

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Susan McGrath is:

a recovering journalist trying to encourage others and glorify God through writing;

living the small-town life with husband Tim and sons Lincoln, 12, and Sawyer, 6;

completing a few put-off writing projects while using chocolate for therapy.

I'll be honest. I don't always want to take up my cross and follow Christ. Sure, in my heart I want to be who He wants me to be. In my head I know it's what I should do. But some mornings when I get out of bed it's all I can do to carry myself to the bathroom and face the day. Carrying crosses takes a lot out of a person.

Then I heard in a sermon last week that we should be helping others carry their burdens as well. Hmm . . .

We read in Matthew, Mark and Luke that we are to take up our cross and follow Christ. In John 19 we read, "Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull . . . Here they crucified him." But we also are told that, at some point, Jesus had help carrying his cross. "As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross
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on him and made him carry it behind Jesus." - Luke 23:26.

I suppose if someone is helping me carry my cross, I should have a free hand and some extra energy to help the next person in need. What I really need to do is view it differently - it's not about heaving burdens around, it's about demonstrating love and compassion to others - friends and strangers, deserving and undeserving.

This week my goal is to look for those opportunities to bless others with the love of Christ.

Can I fix you a meal?

Can I taxi your kids somewhere?

Can I watch them for a few hours so you can go on a date with your spouse?

Can I pray with you?

Can I share a scripture and a word of encouragement?

Can I listen to you vent about a difficult day?

Can I take you to lunch?

Can I carry your cross today?

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Copyright:
'10 Minutes Peace' Copyright 2010 © Susan McGrath. '10 Minutes Peace' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to http://www.liveasif.org/ 2) '10 Minutes Peace' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.