The Cross

There once was a miler named Herb Elliot who had a demanding coach named Percy Cerutty.  Eliot never raced for second place once Cerutty took over his training.  Cerutty would not let him.  Eliot won the 1960 metric mile in the Olympics.  He cruised past everyone else in the race.  He set the record.  The training was brutal.  Eliot was tough.  Tough coach, tough runner.  Soft coach, soft runner.  Jesus says, "Take up your cross and follow me."  Look at his life, and his dying.  Tough God, Tough followers.  No one said heaven was easy.  Whiners need not apply.  But if you know you are a complainer but want to stop, well you have a chance.  Knowing the mess is the first step to conversion.  St. Paul saw this and then he ran the race with Jesus as the coach.  Paul got tough.  Read it in Acts of the Apostles and his letters.