Crossroads and Crosses: What We Choose to Carry, Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi

By Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi

There are only two things we can do with crosses: carry them or kick against them.

 Fulton J. Sheen

That’s a hard truth, but one I’ve come to understand more with each passing season. Life doesn’t ask for our permission to bring us burdens. Pain comes. Loss finds us. Disappointment knocks. And when it does, we’re faced with a choice. We can fight the cross. We can curse it. We can resist, complain, and ask, “Why me?” Or we can carry it. We can merge it into God’s plan and let Him shape it into something meaningful. We can allow that weight to build our character instead of breaking it.

The cross itself isn’t the end of the story; how we respond to it is.

We all have crosses. Some are visible, others hidden. Some are light enough to bear with a smile. Others crush us to our knees before we can even take a step. But here’s what I’ve learned: carrying the cross doesn’t mean you like it. It means you trust that God will bring something out of it: Peace, Wisdom, Compassion, and Strength.

There is no resurrection without a crucifixion. And sometimes, you must go through the valley with your cross before you can rise with your crown.

So, the next time life hands you a burden you didn’t ask for, don’t waste your strength kicking against it. Don’t let it pull you down into bitterness. Instead, take a deep breath, look to heaven, and say, “God, help me carry this.” Not because it's easy. But because it's holy. Because it's shaping you. And because some crosses aren’t meant to be removed, they’re meant to be redeemed.

With Peace and Love,

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi