Carrying the Cross

Good Friday, 2013. My daughter and I participated in our communities annual Cross walk. For those who don't know what a Cross walk is, let me explain a little. A group of people meet at the church where the good Friday service is going to take place about a half hour before the service. We have prayer and then take an actual wooden Cross and walk around the streets, neighborhood or wherever we can. We start at the church and then end up back at the church. Pretty cool, I think. This year was our third time participating. I wanted my daughter with me to remind her of what the day was all about. Not just another day off of school. That Good Friday actually means something.

This years walk started at FBC in Sycamore. A group of about twenty people or so had gathered on a beautiful Friday morning. The pastor said a prayer and then we got started. A couple of young men in the crowd volunteered to start carrying the Cross. We headed out of the parking lot and headed east towards downtown Sycamore. We went as far as the courthouse. When we got to the courthouse, I felt the strong urge to actually carry the cross for the first time. So I switched with the young man who was in front and the other person switched out also. So we started to go around the courthouse. When we got back to the orginal corner where we switched, we asked again if anyone would like to carry it. No one stepped forward. So on we continued.

Now the Cross isn't that big or heavy. But it is square and my shoulders are not. So after about a little over half way back, my shoulder started bothering me. I started thinking, "wow, this is getting heavy". Then I thought, "you sissy boy, Jesus carried His Cross how far after being almost scouraged  to death, stop complaining and carry on."

The next day, I drove my car the same route to see how far we actually walked. It measured exactly 1.1 miles. So I was complaining about being uncomortable for exactly .6 miles. Wow!! Carrying the cross, feeling the weight and a little uncomfortableness was very humbling and sobering. I kept imagining Jesus and His walk with the Cross. He endured people hitting Him, spitting on Him, beating Him. We just had to make sure we didn't get hit by a car crossing the street. Quite the difference.

I look forward to next years walk already! If you ever get a chance to participate, you should. You will never be the same!