Take Up The Cross

Avery had once thought that taking up the cross was a vehicle that religious fanatics drove to church. But now that she had a synergistic blending of the meanings of symbols and the flow of life, she found herself with a hint of enlightenment. Once she understood that the cross is a simple symbol that represents the way, she finally had a glimpse of this light. Her evolution so far had been painful and rushed, only thirty years, and now she was back where she had started, a childlike place of love and forgiveness. She realized that the tiny seed she had always been would continue to thrive through trials and flourish eternally as the love of the universe. She was sure that she would forget her part again and again, but occasionally hope would remind her of her purpose and she would find the way.

She thought of a memorable way to internalize her view. If she wanted to get her heart to work with her mind she would have to face her death…take up the cross. She had not been afraid at her birth and she would not be afraid of her death. Avery took up the cross. It meant to live without fear and live with the knowledge that she could face even the worst of possibilities. She would try to remember each time she was bombarded with fear or guilt to send out the love. So often she paused to think, reach inside and change her mind. Ugly evil thoughts can be dropped and turned into love and happiness. Irritations can be left behind. Angst can be forgotten. Fear can be resolved. There is so much to gain in love and compassion. Her heart stops time and changes her mind.

Avery grew up with the reputation for wielding a wild imagination and as one who could be counted on for rarely telling the plain truth. She entertained her y...

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...ght on with the forty other girls in the hall.

Avery publicly humiliated the bragging girl to the extent that the newly created misfit got down on her hands and knees in front of the crowd of girls and tried speaking in tongues. Avery demanded a public confession from her victim. The confessor became so distraught that she required assistance from the camp counselors and preachers and finally her parents were called, and the hapless target had to be sent home.

After each staged dramatic stunt had come to a rest, Avery would think about what had happened and wonder how it happened. Later she came to realize that she was only playing with the power of words and never really had any goals in mind when she began each façade; she just followed the path of her power trip and watched to see how a few changes could make the day turn out so unexpectedly different.