by Mark Weinrich

We can strive
to balance the cross,
to avoid the cumbersome,
shoulder-biting
pressure that drives us
to our knees.

Yet in following Christ,
there is always a cross.
We may try to make
this instrument of execution
easier to bear, 
but there is no taking 
the self out of sacrifice.

Even Jesus wanted
to take some other way
yet He willingly chose
the hardest road, 
the rocky path
for lifting one or everyone
out of the self-destructiveness
of sin.

Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 139 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.