Is The Cross You Wear Too Heavy To Bare?

IS THE CROSS YOU WEAR TOO HEAVY TO BARE?

Complainingly, I told myself,"this cross is too heavy to wear."
And I wondered discontentedly,
why God gave it to me to bare.
And I looked with envy at others,
whose crosses seemed lighter than mine.
And wished that I could change my cross,
for one of a lighter design -
And then, in a dream, I beheld the cross,
I impulsively wanted to wear.
It was fashioned of pearls and diamonds
and gems that were precious and rare.
And when I hung it around my neck
the weight of the jewels and the gold,
Was much too heavy and cumbersome
for my small, slender neck to hold -
So I tossed it aside and before my eyes
was a cross of rose-red flowers
And I said with delight as I put it on,"this cross I can wear for hours" -
For it was so dainty and fragile,
so lovely and light and thin,
But I had forgotten about the thorns
that started to pierce my skin -
And then in my dream I saw "my cross,"
rugged and old and plain.
That clumsy old cross I had looked upon, with discontented disdain -
And at last I knew that God had made this "special cross for me,"
For God in His great wisdom knew
what I before could not see.
That often the loveliest crosses are the heaviest crosses to bear.
For only God is wise enough to choose the cross we can wear -
So never complain about YOUR CROSS,
for your cross has been blest.
God made it JUST FOR YOU to wear and remember,
GOD KNOWS BEST!