Trusting difficulties

All the difficulties we meet in following Christ and bearing witness to His Gospel can be overcome by opening ourselves trustingly to the action of the Lord.
Pope Benedict XVI, 13 June 2012

difficulties
Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." A cross is not a piece of jewelry that we hang around our neck. A cross is a cruel tool for executing vigilante at Jesus' time. To deny ourselves and to take our cross is not an easy thing to do. No wonder we find difficulties in following Him!

trust
But Jesus also said,  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” His yoke is easy and His burden light. I'd say that Jesus is talking in relative terms here. The cross that we bear is difficult and tough. But the alternatives are worse. The alternative is to live "easy and flabby", to satisfy all the desires that we have, etc. But we will be worse off later on. We shall see that in the end, that His way is a better way. His way brings eternal peace. His way is the real highway.