Watch Where You Walk

As I got up early yesterday to hike, I thought it was going to be like any other hot, Swazi morning for a hike.  But the Lord had something more in store for me.  As we started hiking up the trail with the group, I decided to bring up the rear so that I could make sure that no one was left behind at any point (yep, the old youth pastor in me).  What I didn't realize is that the guy carrying the cross we would plant on the mountain was walking directly in front of me.  I like to talk while I hike, but realized early on in the hike that I couldn't walk too close to him as we were talking.  This guy is already a big guy - over 6 feet tall & walking on an overgrown trail - but even he didn't realize how much more difficult it was going to be carrying the cross.  It wasn't that the cross was heavy, but it was cumbersome.  After the cross knocked leaves off of the first few branches he walked by so that they fell on my head, I lengthened the distance between us.  And more than concentrating on where to take my next step, I began to look up more frequently to watch for branches that would get caught on the cross & then catapult back to hit me (very important with all of the thorn trees)! I kept thinking about Jesus calling us to take up our cross, but never realized how much there is to learn about living among others who are taking up their cross as well until I literally had to follow someone who was taking up a cross & walking.

 "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.' " 

~Matthew 16:24

It's hard enough to take up my own cross & follow Jesus, but I've been reminded lately that walking alongside others as they take up their cross is messy & difficult too.  I've been walking with a couple of friends for a while through the consequences of their choices they made before following Christ.  Praying for God to give me the wisdom to speak into their lives as they seek to walk obediently as new creations, while still bearing the scars of their old lives.  Praying for others to give me grace because I know that I am being judged by walking alongside these with visible consequences of their sin.  Keeping my distance at times to watch out for the messiness that comes with learning to walk while carrying your cross.  And realizing that they may unintentionally hurt me as they learn to walk with a cross & things snap back at me without them even knowing.  
Life is messy.  Following God is messy.  Living in community with other Christians is messy.  But God gives us new mercies each morning to walk in Him & take up our own cross...and to walk humbly before others, encouraging them as they continue to take up their own cross & walk obediently every day with that for God's glory.