Thanks Michelle!!!

I wondered what that meant, and then, after much reading and watching of “The Passion,” I realized what it was REALLY like for Him to carry that cross: He was under so much stress that the night before, He literally sweat blood. That morning, He was beaten with fists and whips, His face was unrecognizable; He had a crown of thorns pushed into His head. Then He had to carry His cross. He was so traumatized and in so much pain that he simply could not carry it very far by Himself. He collapsed, and someone else — Simon of Cyrene — had to carry the cross the rest of the way.

When I look at what Christ went through to get to the cross-carrying and then look at what Simon had to do to carry it the rest of the way for Him, I realize that while Simon’s task was difficult, it was nowhere near what Jesus had to go through to get to where Simon began to carry it.

And that’s where I am: I know that in order to be worthy of Christ, I have to carry my cross and actually follow Him. And I’m grateful that it’s not as heavy a burden as He had, or even as Simon had.

37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

39 Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.