It ain't heavy. Its my cross

Mark 8:31-38
Then Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels

I will be the first to admit that I am not a scholar of exegesis. However, I am a devoted Christian and have a few favorite Gospel passages. This is one that truly speaks to me. How many times have I taken up my cross and followed Jesus? There are times where I feel that I am alone on my journey to my own Calvary, where I feel that I am the only soul on Golgotha. I have tried with all my might to not be interested in worldly things so much-to not buy into rampant materialism. But each day that I set about that goal I do succumb. I engage in a lot of retail therapy. I like clothes, shoes, make up, music and books. But I do walk away from more and more and I have developed some self discipline. But its not always about me, its about so much more.
How many people do we know or encounter on a regular basis who are also carrying heavy crosses? Especially in these lean economic times, we may know many who are stuggling-maybe in private-with their own journey to Calvary. They may be weighted under their own crosses, creating grooves in the upper backs, buckling their knees. Could they have also suffered humilation, degradation and abuse? Did they too pray that this cup should be passed away from them?
I know that in dark times Satan comes out more and more. He is hiding in the dark recesses, like the bogeymen of our childhood. He is tempting us with wordly glories-sometimes magnificent, sometimes mundane, always with a cost. Is my eternal soul worth groceries? I know that I have to remain steadfast in my faith. I know that this too shall pass-many others are in far worse situations than I. I have a wonderful family, a beautiful home, we have good jobs,have good food on our table and enjoy good health and freedom, which means we are more blessed than many others. To come to think of it, my cross doesn't seem that heavy after all.