A Cross to Bear

It was a beautiful morning the Friday before Easter. Birds sang from the trees and tulips glowed in the sunny flowerbeds, but Daniel didn’t notice any of it. He walked slowly down the street with a frown on his face. It isn’t fair at all, he thought, as he made a fist around a ten-dollar bill. I think Alley doesn’t like me and just wanted to get me in trouble. I would never let her goat out, even if I did go see it. And I didn’t!

“Daniel! Wait, an’ I’ll come with you!” He turned to see his younger sister Rosie running after him. Her braids were flying and she looked out of breath.

“You didn’t have to come,” Daniel said glumly.

“But I—I wanted to,” she said. “Really, Daniel, I didn’t know they were going to be mad at you. I just said that I remembered that you said—”

“I know,” Daniel cut in. “And I did say that I wanted to see their new goat last week when you told me about it. It’s just hard that Alley went and blamed it on me, because her silly goat got out and ate something poisonous.”

“Will it die?” Rosie asked, with a worried look on her face.

“Probably not. Mom said that they got it to the vet in time. But they were sure mad about it and said I had to pay for it. Why do they blame it on me?” Rosie didn’t answer and they walked along without saying anything. At the corner they turned down a gravel road.

As they neared the hedge of rhododendron in front of Alley Smith’s house, Daniel slowed his steps. He hadn’t been here yesterday when the little pygmy goat got out. He hadn’t been on this road since—since the day when he had gone bike riding with Chad. That had been a month ago. How could Alley say that she had seen him? But Mom had said he better pay the ten dollars, even if it wasn’t his fault.

“Daniel?” Rosie almost whispered the word. She stood still and looked down the road with a sad look on her little face.

“What?”

“Do you think we should pray? Maybe God will make them sorry….” Her voice trailed off, and Daniel followed her gaze to a church building standing by the side of the road. It had a big poster up with a picture of a cross covered with flowers.

Daniel thought about the Bible story they had read that morning. It was on a Friday that Jesus had died on the cross. First he had been accused and beaten, and then they had put the boards of the cross on his back and made him carry them up a hill. It had all been very unfair and cruel, but Jesus had said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

“I think, Rosie,” Daniel said slowly, “that maybe I should pray to be cheerful. You know, Jesus didn’t complain when people told lies about Him and treated Him badly.”

“No, Jesus just loved them anyway. I guess that was kind of hard when they were so mean.” Rosie looked over at the Smith’s house. “Do you want me to pray for you?”

“I guess so.”

Rosie shut her eyes. “Dear Father, help Daniel to be cheerful and nice,” she said, “even though Alley doesn’t like him and blamed him for her goat getting out. Thank you that Jesus died for us on the cross and loved us, even though people were mean to Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

“Thanks,” Daniel said, and turned down the walk. Rosie followed him up to the front door. Daniel knocked.

The door swung open and Mrs. Smith looked down at them. “Oh, it is you,” she said with a frown. “Alley’s out with the goat and it is still terribly sick. It really could have died with all the rhodies it ate up last night. Ruined them totally and they’ll cost me a great deal to replace.”

“I brought the ten dollars,” Daniel said as she paused. He held out the money.

“Oh, well, that might help a little. But I guess a little boy can’t be expected to do better,” she said as she slipped it into her pocket.

It felt sort of like a slap in the face, but Daniel bit his lip and didn’t say a word. Rosie squeezed his arm. “If you wouldn’t mind, Mrs. Smith, we would like to see the goat,” she said. “We’re sorry it got sick.”

“Are you now?” The lady in the doorway looked at them sternly. At last she led the way into the garage. Alley was sitting on an old pillow with her arm around a little gray goat. She frowned when they came in. The pygmy goat gave a squeaky little baa.

“Daisy is eating her hay now,” Alley said to her mom.

“Good, Deary. I’m sure she’ll be quite well soon,” Mrs. Smith said in a sweet voice. “But Rosie’s brother thought he would come and apologize for all the trouble he gave you.”

Her smile made Daniel’s stomach feel funny. He swallowed and looked at Alley. What could he say? Father, forgive them… Father, forgive them… the words went through his thoughts. He looked at the little goat and said slowly, “I am sorry that your goat got out and got sick, Alley. I wouldn’t—” he stopped. They would never believe that he wasn’t to blame. Daniel reached out and stroked the little goat’s back. “I hope she’ll get better really soon.”

As Daniel and Rosie walked quietly back home, the flowers swayed in the sunshine and birds sang along the road. Daniel saw and heard, but he didn’t say anything. There were bigger thoughts in his mind. Bigger than being blamed or losing ten dollars. Bigger than the Smiths and their false ideas about him. No, it was thoughts about Jesus, who had traveled a road of sorrow and trouble before him, that filled his mind. Yes, for Jesus sake, he would help carry that cross that was so heavy and hard. It was these thoughts that filled his heart with gladness!