“Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.” Matthew 27:32 (NLT)
This verse has always stirred something deep within me. For many years, I saw Simon of Cyrene as a quiet hero a man who stepped forward to help the Savior in His hour of suffering. I admired his presence in such a sacred moment.
But today, a different detail grips my heart: he did not volunteer.
The soldiers forced him.
And suddenly, the story feels closer to my own life.
How often do I imagine blessings arriving in beautiful packages? I picture myself walking gracefully into answered prayers, doors swinging open effortlessly, my path paved with clarity and celebration. I imagine blessings that look like victory parades not heavy crosses.
But Simon’s story disrupts that image.
He was pulled from the crowd. Interrupted. Burdened. Compelled to carry something he did not choose. What must he have felt? Confusion? Fear? Frustration? Embarrassment?
Yet that “burden” became a divine appointment.
That forced moment tied his name forever to the greatest act of redemption in human history.
It makes me wonder: How many disguised blessings have I resisted because they did not look glorious?
Jesus Himself entered Jerusalem not to earthly celebration, but to suffering. His road led to humiliation, rejection, and death yet that very path led to resurrection, eternal glory, and His exaltation at the right hand of the Father.
Hannah’s tears looked like shame before they became the testimony that birthed Samuel.
Paul’s blindness looked like tragedy before it became the doorway to spiritual sight and apostolic purpose.
Again and again, Scripture shows a holy pattern:
God’s greatest blessings often arrive disguised as heavy crossings.
Simon may have been heading somewhere ordinary that day. Scripture does not tell us his plans. But Heaven had written a different appointment. What felt like disruption was actually divine selection.
He did not choose the moment.
He was chosen for it.
And his choosing did not look glamorous.
Lord, teach my heart to recognize You in the burdens.
Help me not to miss divine appointments because they arrive dressed as inconvenience.
Help me embrace the cross-carrying seasons that position me for eternal purpose.
Not every blessing looks like celebration.
Some blessings look like weight.
Wells of Wonder 