I walked one day along a country road,
And there a stranger journeyed, too,
Bent low beneath the burden of His load:
It was a cross, a cross I knew.

Refrain

“Take up thy cross and follow Me.”
I hear the blessèd Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice,
When Jesus gave His all?

I cried, “Lord Jesus,” and He spoke my name;
I saw His hands all bruised and torn;
I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame,
The shame for me that He had borne.

Refrain

“O let me bear Thy cross, dear Lord,” I cried,
And lo, a cross for me appeared,
The one forgotten I had cast aside,
The one, so long, that I had feared.

Refrain

My cross I’ll carry till the crown appears,
The way I journey soon will end
Where God Himself shall wipe away all tears,
And friend hold fellowship with friend.