Crosses to Crowns

Complainingly I told myself,
"This cross is too heavy to wear"
And I wondered discontentedly
Why God gave it to me to bear.

And I looked with envy at others
Whose crosses seemed lighter than mine
And wished that I could change my cross
For one of a lighter design.

And then, in a dream, I beheld the cross
I impulsively wanted to wear,
It was fashioned of pearls & diamonds
And gems that were precious & rare.

And when I hung it around my neck
The weight of the jewels & the gold
Was much too heavy & cumbersome
For my small, slender neck to hold--

So I tossed it aside & before my eyes
Was a cross of rose-red flowers
And I said with delight as I put it on,
"This cross I can wear for hours"

For it was so dainty & fragile,
So lovely & light & thin,
But I had forgotten about the thorns
That started to pierce my skin

And then in my dream I saw "my cross,"
Rugged & old & plain,
That clumsy old cross I had looked upon
With discontented disdain--

And at last I knew that God had made
This "special cross for me"
For God in His great wisdom knew
What I before could not see,

That often the loveliest crosses
Are the heaviest crosses to bear,
For only God is wise enough
To choose the cross we can wear

So never complain about your cross
For your cross has been blest
God made it just for you to wear
And remember, God knows best!