"Then Jesus said to all, 'If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"
Luke 9:23
That really doesn't sound much like a recruiting spiel, does it? Why would anyone want to sign on to an invitation like that? I have read somewhere that we certainly do not have to go looking for our crosses in life. They find us, surely, just in the course of living a human life. Living as humans, we are vulnerable to illness, financial setbacks, relationship failures, and, face it: we sometimes aren't very nice to each other and people suffer. So what is the point of all that? Why do we suffer and why must we bear these crosses? It is a question for pondering today, Friends. I don't have the answer, unfortunately (if I did maybe I'd be a famous Theologian!) I do believe we need to trust Jesus, though, that as the Father did not abandon him throughout his earthly mission and passion, God does not abandon us in ours. When we go through difficulties God is right there with us, supporting us and shoring us up. Any wee bit of strength we find we can attribute to God. The love and support we feel from others is also God, using the hands and feet available for that very purpose. So, yes, the recruiting poster may seem a bit harsh to us and we may wonder why we'd sign up to follow Jesus. But it means that our lives are lived with the One who loves us more than any other. Through thick and thin, happy and sad. And that seems well worth it! Love, heidi
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