At Our Cross, We Receive!

Today in our lives, many are facing sickness and death. Rather it be from disease, addictions, or viruses. Struggling with increased pain today, In my quiet time, I opened the book ---"My Journey, My Cross," I found this.

AT THE CROSS

I listened to a man tell the story of the passion and the death

of Jesus; giving explicit, very descriptive details of all that Jesus

suffered. My eyes closed and my mind pictured all that suffering

described and my tears started to flow. As I listened and envisioned

this totally cruel and completely unjustified event, my heart spoke

to God my Father.

"God, do You want me to feel deep remorse and guilt over the

scourging and crucifixion of Jesus, Your Son?"

"No," comes His gentle reply. "This was a sacrifice of love done

for you. Why would I want you to feel bad over such a great gift

of love? But tell Me, my child—what would you do if you had

been there?"

Why I would love You, Lord, go to You, try to ease Your suffering

if I could! I would help take Your crushed wounded Body down

off the cross and hold You. Cry for You, and tenderly wash You. I

would hold You close to my heart and love You.

"Go then," God said. "Go to whomever, wherever you find

My crushed, wounded, broken Body-hanging on a cross—in

every person you meet. I am hanging on crosses in everyone—

wounded, crushed and broken by the sinfulness of others and

their own sinfulness too.

"My children have all been cruelly and unjustly treated by

others, who were wounded and broken themselves, the sinner

and the sinned against.

All are hurting and are in need of that understanding, forgiving,

and tender love. Only those who have been given understanding

and the grace to love—can give. See the wounded Jesus in all that you see.

Love them and you will love Me."

When you come to receive the Body of Jesus and His Blood,

know what this action means. It means that you believe, you

proclaim, the desire to Love as I would Love. That you are willing

to be blessed, broken and poured out as I was. That you are

willing to drink from the same cup of suffering that I endured out

of love for you.

Just as I did, you suffer so others can be helped,

dying to self—so that others can be understood, accepted and

loved and freed from their crosses, their inner hurts.

Are you willing to go to the cross—all of the crosses of your

life so others can be healed of the wounds inflicted upon them?"

I remember pondering on this call, and answer that came

from deep within my humanness. "I will go if You lead me Lord,

and I will count on the graces that You will give me. I cannot carry

the cross by myself. But I do want to love as You have loved me."

"You were never meant to carry that cross alone, my dear

child." 

The book "My Journey, My Cross-As the Journals End" was written in obedience. I still go to re-read and remember all the different messages spoken to me over 40 years of a very difficult marriage. Like the Bible---what God inspires--the Words stay alive forever for those who read them. Seek God daily, so you can be helped and blessed in this difficult time we live in.