EDITORIAL - The ultimate sacrifice

There is a story about a man who complained to God that the cross he was carrying was far too heavy for him. And because our God is full of compassion and mercy, he took pity on the man and made him choose a cross that would just be the right size for him. The man went on to choose from among crosses of different sizes and of different materials.

There was a huge cross made of metal, and the man found that it was much too heavy for him considering his frail body. Then there was a cross made of bamboo. The man wanted to take it up for himself but was ashamed that God would think he just wanted an easy journey through life, so he proceeded to choose from the other crosses available. He tried to carry each and every cross that he could find in search for the perfect one for him.

After some time, the man finally decided on a cross that was not too heavy nor too light, a cross that he could carry without him getting tired too easily and one that does not bruise his shoulders. God smiled at the man's choice. It was the very same cross that the man was carrying when he came to God to complain.

At many points in our lives, we are very much like the man who complained to God about the cross he was carrying. We complain about a lot of things - the heat, the rain, the strong winds, the bills that we have to pay, the food that we eat or the food that we wanted to eat. We actually complain about almost anything.

What we do not realize is that we are not alone in these complaints or sufferings. We are not the only ones carrying a cross. Everyone is. And while we whine and cry about how heavy our cross is, think about the sufferings of the person who is carrying the metal cross. Think about the sufferings that Jesus Christ went through when He carried all mankind in His shoulders to save us all from the evils of sin.

All of us go through life with a lot of sufferings as we carry our respective crosses. And while some carry lighter crosses, there are also those who carry heavy ones. Taking up our cross is but a little sacrifice compared to the one that Christ did for us. So before complaining about how heavy the cross you are carrying is, think first of the cross that Jesus took up. He carried you and me in that cross. It was the ultimate sacrifice.