Endure the cross 

I once heard that our weaknesses are actually an extension of our biggest strengths.

Like, I’m an eternal optimist, which is a huge strength of mine.

But it took me an awfully long time to realize that most people telling me about their struggles just really want to connect and share.

… And they aren’t looking for me to immediately point out all the good things about their situation if only they looked at it differently!

But even with this blessing/curse of eternal optimism, I have learned…⁣

Sometimes, things are just HARD.

Life can be difficult and painful.

Our own beloved Savior had to endure being nailed to a cross.

Multiple times.

After being physically tortured. ⁣

There was no “bright side” to that.

That is truly one of the most terrible things anyone has had to endure. ⁣

I don’t want to directly compare what we have to go through with the truly torturous experience our loving Savior had, but I do think we can learn from His example. ⁣

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Many of us are asked to “endure crosses” in this mortal life. ⁣

There is no upside.

You aren’t “just not being positive enough”.

There are some truly terrible, scary, unexplainable things that we have to endure. ⁣

How do we possibly make it through? How can we endure? ⁣

How did Christ endure the cross?⁣

He knew the joy that was set before Him.

He didn’t feel that joy in the moment. But He KNEW it would be there waiting for Him on the other side. ⁣

We are not meant to feel joy in every part of our lives. Sometimes, things are just terrible. ⁣

Or even on a smaller scale, sometimes we are just having a bad day. And that’s our “cross to endure” for the time being. ⁣

When we don’t feel that joy now, we can look to our Savior as the example that the JOY WILL RETURN.

We can’t see it now. We can’t even imagine feeling it again. ⁣

But we have faith. We know that if we can just endure, we will feel that joy again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black