Embracing that Cross

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you . . .

How many times have I denied what Christ has laid before me? How many times has God presented me with His plans for my life yet has allowed me to choose another path? I feel as if God is so clearly present before us. He has shown us the way, yet we continue to miss His cues. He gave us His only Son, yet we chose Barabas . . . a murderer.

Sometimes what is laid before us is not what we want. It might not even be what we believe we need. The path chosen for us might come as a slammed door in the face of what we always imagined our life to be. Maybe God wants to show us something through a struggle with infertility. Perhaps He knows that if we suffer through the loss of a dear friend, we will draw closer to Him. The lost job, the wayward child, the debilitating disease . . . pains through which only He can bring about something better.

Yet, too often I am not willing to see it. I want what I want, when I want it, and then I pray for His blessing. What if, instead, I embrace the image of Christ and a life lived with Him that He sets right before me, even if it comes in the form of a seemingly unbearable cross? What if, with each struggle, I choose to see Christ? What if I look more for growth rather than ease?

If I do, I might feel more pain. I more than likely will ask why. But, I do know that I will be forced to rely more on Him, clinging to the promise that He will never leave me.

He will present Himself to us today. We will be given the opportunity to choose Him and the joys and pains that come with that choosing. We will also be given the chance to deny Him once again.

Today, just in this moment, I will choose Him. And next time, it will be easier.

Where is God asking you to choose Him today?

Britt Fisk is the wife of Jeremy and mother of four young kids. She spends her days living simply in the-middle-of-nowhere-New Mexico helping with the family beef cattle operation. You can find out more about her here.