When he left for Jerusalem he had no idea what he would face.  Simon of Cyrene was in town, like so many others, for the annual Passover celebration.  He never expected to come face to face with an angry mob, but that’s exactly what happened.  Simon was ordered to carry the cross of Christ toward Calvary.  Unexpectedly, Simon was now bearing the weight of something unexpected.

     That’s the way a trial works.  We never plan for them, and they often come unannounced.  Consider for a few moments the trials of your life.  Would you not agree that they are typically inconvenient and unexpected?  All it takes is a phone call or an email and suddenly your life is turned upside down.  You receive the results from a test or a knock on your door and abruptly everything in your world changes.  Like Simon, you didn’t expect it, and you surely didn’t plan for it, but nonetheless, there it is.

     How do we bear such a cross?  How do we experience such a load?  The answer is simple: The Lord helps us carry the weight.  The Gospel of John tells us that Christ was indeed bearing His cross when He came to Calvary.  Somewhere in the journey, Christ could not bear to see Simon carry the weight alone.  He got underneath the load and helped him with the weight.  Praise the Lord He still helps us during unexpected trials.