Take Up Your Cross

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:18-27

Take Up Your Cross

How do we follow the Good Shepherd?
Bearing the crosses we have been given
shouldering the blame for what we have done
moving forward with one foot in front of the other.

Loving and forgiving take time and honesty
demand our best despite illness and challenge
in place of worry and wracked with constant fear
we take up our cross and follow the author of love.

We cannot know the perils of the future roads
we can only see and dimly so the road we are on
may we make peace with each we see today
and love the burdens we have been given.