True Rest?

Somewhere deep inside the recesses of my mind, thoughts are developing and brewing.  Tough thoughts, difficult concepts that aren't yet ready to emerge.  But when they are, I'll let you know.  In the meantime, here are some thoughts from my journal not that long ago.

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Life is a steady constant of ups and downs.  There are days when I feel comfortable with where I'm at.  And there are other days that seem to have no other purpose than to drain the life out of me.  On one such heavy-laden day, I read a friend's post about rest.  That night, as I crawled into bed with weary bones and droopy eyelids, I turned to the verse she wrote about.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  -Matthew 11:28-30

If I had chosen the end to this story, I'd have laid back onto my pillow and drifted off to peaceful sleep amidst rest and relief.

Alas, that was not the true ending.

Rather, my brain shifted into overdrive as new questions rushed to the surface.

Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. ...But Jesus, didn't You also say that anyone who wants to come after You must deny himself and take up his cross and follow You?  We interpret the cross as burden, but for You it meant death.  To follow You and take up our crosses means we follow You to our own deaths.

How is that a light burden?

Or maybe not that question so much as this:  How do we change so that death becomes a burden that is light?