I was on my way to work one day running late as always. Time and I are like bees and vinegar, we don’t mix. If I’m on time then something went terribly wrong and someone else took control of my body. So this morning was already like every other morning because I was speeding past all the slow cars calculating how fast I needed to drive in order to only be a few minutes late. People think that having your Dad be your boss can be a good thing but not when you are late and he can remind you every time he sees you. As I was practicing to be the next Jeff Gordan I looked over and saw something that made me rub my eyes. You ever see something that makes you question if you’re dead or just insane? Yup, this was one of those moments. Walking down the side of the highway was a family of 10 carrying giant wooden crosses on their back. The littlest one had to be three with a bebe cross on her back (probably the only size I would have been able to carry). I first thought two things 1) WHO WALKS ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WHERE ARE THEY GOING and 2) DID I JUST SEE THE DUGGAR’s. I swore it was the Duggar family and at this point I knew it was worth being late. I got off the closest exit only to get back on so I could witness this bizarre site again, side note it wasn’t the Duggars. This time I got a better look and I realized each cross was the same size as the human carrying it. I had so many questions, too many. All morning I couldn’t stop thinking about the family that was carrying crosses on the highway.
Have you ever asked God for a sign? You tell him “okay God, if you can move this chair from this point to this point then I know you’re real”. “Just please make this light flicker so I know I can count on you”. You beg for a sign. Well I got hit in the face with a sign but the thing is as loud as it was it would take months later for me to realize that he did exactly what I always wanted him to do. Sometimes God sends signs and they make us think but we don’t realize their worth till later. You’re probably reading this and thinking that that family was a sign that was FLASHING IN MY FACE.
MOST OF THE TIME THOUGH WE ARE SO CAUGHT UP IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE SIGN THAT WE MISS IT COMPLETLEY.
It wasn’t till this week when I was listening to a song that was talking about how we have to carry our own cross that I finally got it. It immediately brought me back to the “Duggar” family that was walking on the side of the highway. We get caught up in this person’s religion, in what the church wants, in what our parents expect that we end up carrying other people’s crosses that are way too heavy. When you carry someone’s cross it isn’t going to be your size, you’re going to struggle because it wasn’t made for you. OUR FAITH IS ABOUT CARRYING OUR CROSS. It’s about having a personal relationship with God and brining that relationship everywhere with you. That family was an outward symbol of what we should be doing inwardly. God made a cross to fit my back perfectly, where it won’t hold me down, it’s meant for me. We all have different relationships with Him and we need to celebrate that. Your cross is different from mine but what bonds us is that we are all carrying it.
The second time I drove past the family I saw one of the younger ones set her cross down. One of the older siblings picked her cross up, put it back on her back then walked behind her. WE HAVE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER PICK THEIR CROSS BACK UP IF THEY GET TIRED. Yes, it’s tiring being a believer but the thing is that you’ll always have support. If it wasn’t the older sibling picking the cross back up it would have been God. He first waits to see if we will be there for one another then he will step in. We have to celebrate our own journeys while supporting our brother and sisters. This is why I tell people never to judge because you don’t know what size cross they are carrying, you don’t know if their back is getting sore.
Another thing to think about is that they were walking on the dang highway, you know how risky that is? Sometimes faith is risky because we lose friends, we have to leave situations, we have to keep people accountable etc.… but they walked on the highway so that people could see. WALK WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU CARRY YOUR CROSS. What not to do though is boast about carrying your cross, DON’T TALK ABOUT IT BE ABOUT IT. Carry the cross with grace and humility. Like Kendrick Lamar says, “BE HUMBLE”.
Remind yourself everyday of that family, of that commitment they had to carry their cross. Pick yours up every morning and wear it loud and proud. If you see someone setting theirs down, pick it up and put it back on their back but walk behind them for God is already walking next to them. Walk together with your crosses like the family; unite yourself on the one thing that matters.
Walk on the highway of life with your cross. Stay committed and help each other out. Put your cross on and trust. CARRY YOUR CROSS.