The Cross of Cold | Parable 2, Seeds of Hope

Parable 2 – The Cross of Cold

A monk named Stephen, who loved to sit in a chair and read Scripture in the warmth of the monastery, was given the task of going out each morning to gather the firewood. The monastery had three fireplaces, and although there was a great stack of wood under a shelter, Stephen had to make multiple trips outside to provide sufficient firewood for the day.

He didn’t mind exercise, but he had an aversion to the cold. During the long winter, the frigid temperatures of the early morning stung his face and hands. He knew he could not complain to the abbot, but silently he prayed, “Why me, Lord? I would gladly do the laundry, or prepare the meals, or clean the dishes, but I despise the cold.”

When Stephen was first assigned this chore, he felt disappointed, but dutifully he faced the cold and did the work. Gradually, resentment crept in, and he began to lose his patience with his brother monks. He noticed how untidy some of them were, how others ate more than their share, and how still others sang loudly but off-key. He took great offense when someone asked him why he scowled each day.

One afternoon, while in a bad mood, he was reading Scripture and came across the words of Jesus instructing us to pick up our cross “daily” and follow Him. Those words began to burn in his heart, as if an ember from the fire had seared a hole in his chest. He asked God, “Is my cross picking up the wood in the cold?”

Stephen waited for a response. He heard nothing, yet he felt a recognition that his cross was indeed to face the cold each day. From then on, he tried to do just that willingly. Slowly, he changed his tune. He united his effort with that of his Lord.

One day he recognized that without the cold, he would not appreciate the warmth of the fire. Another day, it occurred to him that he was fortunate to have the strength and agility to carry the wood and bring warmth to his fellow monks. To his great delight, one of his brother monks asked him why he was always smiling.

Just as Stephen grew to cherish carrying the wood each morning, he was assigned the new task of making cheese. It seemed his new cross had an odor that was very displeasing to him.

Meditation

When we hear about “picking up our cross,” many of us think of a physical hardship that we must endure. Our cross can be anything that is difficult as we try to follow the Lord.

We want to treat our neighbor well, but our neighbor mistreats us.

We don’t want to serve the god of money, yet we are drowning in medical bills.

We don’t want to covet a good-looking neighbor, but that person keeps saying hello to us in the most alluring way.

We are just starting Lent. Many of us are still trying to decide how we are going to grow closer to the Lord this season. Are we fasting regularly? Are we giving more to charity? Are we praying with a new intensity? Part of the journey is recognizing that we have crosses in our lives, hardships in our path as we try to follow Jesus. Every day there is a challenge for us.

If we don’t freely pick it up, just like Stephen, it is easy to become resentful, angry, or depressed. Whatever our situation, we have an invitation to follow Jesus, to walk with Him.

The best way to come out of the cold is to willingly bring in the wood and stoke the fire that brings warmth to the world.

Water the seed and ask yourself…

What cross must I pick up and carry with humility?