| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 10 |
Page 2 |
There are crosses which we make for ourselves. A child could not understand what a cross in life is, and the father explained it in this way. A cross is composed of two pieces of wood, one longer, one shorter. The shorter piece represents our will, and the longer God’s will. Lay the pieces side by side and no cross is formed. But lay the shorter across the longer, and there is a cross. Whenever our will falls athwart God’s will we have a cross. We make a cross for ourselves when we refuse to take God’s way, to accept his will, or when we chafe or fret at anything God sends us. When, however, we quickly accept what God gives, and yield in sweet acquiescence to the divine will, we have no crosses to carry.
Yet there are many people who fill their lives with crosses by refusing to let God have his way with them. Much physical illness and pain are produced by violation of law, and the suffering endured in consequence is self-inflicted. Much of the trouble in people’s lives they bring upon themselves by their indiscretions, follies, and evil habits. Then there are those who make crosses for themselves by magnifying their common ills, by dwelling on their troubles, by brooding over imaginary evils until their moderate share of mortal infelicities grow into a seeming mountain of calamities. If all the crosses we make for ourselves were taken out of our lives, we should not have many left. Far more than we realize or could be made to believe are we the authors of our own troubles.
We make many crosses for each other. We do not know what it costs other people to live with us. There is a great deal of selfishness in the world, even in the best Christians, and selfishness makes life hard for others. There is much thoughtlessness in even the best human love, and thoughtlessness continually makes suffering in gentle hearts. Marriage is the most sacred and holy of all human relationships, but there are few even among those most congenially and most happily wedded, who do not make many crosses for each other. They do not mean to do it – they love each other, and it is in their hearts always to give cheer, happiness, and comfort. But unconsciously they say and do things continually which give pain and make crosses.
Page 2