Taking the Bad with the Good

Try to picture this with me.  A woman gets a knock on her door.  When she gets to the door she looks outside and sees a big group of people standing on her porch.  There are cameramen, photographers, boom microphones, all of her neighbors and a very nicely dressed, handsome man at the front of the large crowd.  Right behind him someone is holding what looks like a regular bank check on steroids.  On the sum line it says “Ten Million Dollars.”  The lady opens the door and a man introduces himself as Ned McTan and he informs her that she just one a sweepstakes of ten million dollars.  The woman starts screaming and saying, “Thank God. I can’t believe this.  Thank God.” Read the rest of this entry

More Than I Can Bear

The story is told of a man who goes to Jesus wanting to trade out his cross for a better one.  He tells the Lord, “I see the crosses others are carrying and theirs are much more bearable than mine.  Why does my cross have to be so cumbersome and heavy?  Other people carry their cross with ease and mine is hindering my day to day life.”  Jesus leads the man to a room full of crosses.  Some are big and others are small.  The man is instructed to put down his cross and then go select a new cross.  The only stipulation was once he made his selection he could never complain or exchange his cross again. He searches for hours on end.  The big crosses were just as he assumed  very large and very heavy.  He knew there was no way he could ever carry those crosses.  The smaller crosses were shockingly painful.  Some had stickers that constantly stuck you in the shoulder or back reminding you of the beams you were bearing.  Others were oddly shaped and rubbed the neck raw.  Finally the man came upon a cross that was perfect for him.  Read the rest of this entry