Crosses are ladders for getting to heaven.
Meaning: Suffering and hardship, like rungs on a ladder, provide the necessary steps toward spiritual growth and redemption.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Crosses are ladders that lead to heaven. — Suffering and hardship, when endured with faith, become the means of spiritual elevation…
- Where are the crumbs there are the chickens. — Traces of consumption reveal where attention and resources naturally congregate.
- Curses are like chickens, they come home to roost. — Malicious words and wishes eventually harm the person who spoke them, returning with cons…
- I had not cut my wise teeth. — Lacking experience or maturity, one cannot yet recognize or act upon good judgment.
- Desperate cuts must have desperate cures. — Severe problems require bold, unconventional solutions, even if risky or painful.
- No longer pipe, no longer dance. — When the music stops, those dependent on it must cease their enjoyment and move forward.
From our idioms
- bash into shape — To shape, repair, or train something or someone by vigorous, rough, or direct methods.
- in the same boat — In a shared predicament or situation; facing the same difficulties or circumstances toget…
- go along for the ride — To accompany someone passively, without taking an active role or responsibility.