“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23

We all have our crosses in life, that is a given. What matters is how we cope with them. We have a choice. Some will attempt to ignore their cross, others will resent it and be angry with God for imposing it on them. Some will attempt to run away from it. Others will embrace their cross.

For those who choose to ignore their cross, to pretend it is not there, it is a constant shadow on the horizon of their life, a haunting presence that will not be denied. Those who grudgingly accept it and ask God why he singled them out for such a burden find their constant “Why me Lord?” resentment a more onerous burden than their cross.

Those who attempt to run away from their cross find it pursues them relentlessly, like the Hound of Heaven, and eventually overwhelms them. Those who choose to embrace their cross and see it not as a burden but as a badge of discipleship find it disappears.

Lent is a good time to ask ourselves “How do I cope with my cross?” Is it a haunting shadow, a source of anger and resentment, a relentless pursuer or a badge of discipleship?

Image Credit: Leo Reynolds on Flickr