That cross is already there, ready, from the very beginning;
we need only take it up. But to keep us from believing that
we must simply choose any arbitrary cross, or simply pick
out our suffering as we will, Jesus emphasizes that each of
us has his or her own cross, ready, appointed, and appropriately
measured by God.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer from God Is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter