Can you REALLY sacrifice????

Matthew 16:24 (NASB)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

I've heard this verse quoted time and time again throughout my life and I've honestly only met a very small handful of people that truly live what this verse says.
We can justify all day long how there is a reason why we need this or that, but ultimately I'm sure that if we looked deep into our hearts we would realize that was not true.

Right after my husband and I first got married, I quickly became pregnant and found myself wondering back and forth from one end of the house to another just waiting on pins and needles for him to get home from work. One night, I was so upset and frustrated over this overwhelming "alone" feeling that I broke down in tears to him. He told me that maybe God has me in this time of being alone because He's teaching me to be content in whatever circumstance I'm in. Then he said, sometimes once you've become content and okay with that circumstance God will, in my case, bring me a friend or companion. But He doesn't always do that, He may see fit to just leave things be even though I'm content. So I thought, "Okay, I'll just be content not having any friends or companions and then God will reward me with someone! I can do that no problem!"
Well, 1 year went by and nothing. 2 years went by and still, nothing! 3 years and a across the country move and BAM there was my friend that had been waiting for me!:)
I will say that I had gotten so used to being "alone" that I almost didn't like the fact of having someone to talk with, but, I feel that was another lesson being taught. God was wanting me to learn how to function, rely on only Him, and when the time came He pushed me out of that comfort zone and back into the idea of a friendship.
The verse in Matthew talks about sacrifice and how, if we are truly wanting to be used by God and truly seeking a life that reflects Him, there are going to be some things, well, most things, that we're going to have to give up. I wanted so badly to have someone I could talk with and just fellowship with other than my husband but that's not what God wanted. I had to give up that want and learn to sacrifice it for what God was wanting. In that time I learned so much because I had hours and hours on my hands!!! I also was given sweet and priceless time with my little ones as they were born. I'm grateful to have a friend now, someone that I can talk with and ask for prayer and such. But I learned a valuable lesson one that I will never forget. It's possible that in the future those lessons will need to remembered as I go through another time of being "alone", but that's okay, because I realize that God is always there with me!

"and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
Matthew 10:38 (NASB)