Life is Hard
A few years ago we did a Bible Study called "When Life is Hard" by James MacDonald. Sometimes, we are being prepared in advance for a season that we will be going through in the future. And, at other times, we are neck deep in a hard season and God provides a study, a book, a sermon, or a wise friend, that meets us right where we are at, and it's exactly what we need to help us get through it. If you are going through a hard season in your life, I would highly recommend the book by the same name, "When Life is Hard", by James MacDonald. A couple of other choices are, "You'll Get Through This", by Max Lucado, and "What To Do On The Worst Day of Your Life" by Brian Zahnd.📚
I went through a difficult season a few years back, and wondered "How on earth will we get through this?" My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time on the day of my daughter's graduation party. The doctor had assured us that he didn't think it was cancerous, so it was quite a blow to get the news. My sister, Ginger, was home that weekend and was acting very odd, completely not herself at all. The following Monday, I went to take my mom to the doctor for her pre-op (double mastectomy) and my brother-in-law took my sister to ER - she was acting like she had had a stroke.
As it turns out, Ginger had a brain tumor the size of a lemon. She too had fought cancer, starting in her lung, and it had metastasized to her chest wall and then to her brain. She was told she had three months to live in the beginning, and she lived for 10 years. We had already experienced a bunch of doctors appointments, chemo, radiation, surgeries, etc., for them both . . .and that next spring, Mom had a terrible stroke while in Arizona. That entailed five different nursing homes, six hospital stays just in MN, rehab, a case of MRSA, and pneumonia. Along with the longest day of my life. . . trying to get her from Arizona back to Minnesota while she was in a wheelchair, unable to walk, with a broken arm, on a plane, with every single person taking a hard look on their way past. Don't even get me started on security, lol! (That's a whole story in itself).
I lost mom in 2009 and Ginger in 2012 - they were dark days, but God was faithful. He gave me that biblical peace that passes understanding to get through. He also gave me several confirmations during those days, answers to prayer, rainbows to remember that He keeps His promises, and so much more. On one occasion, when I had completely lost my peace and composure, he had a wonderful prayer warrior back home stop what she was doing and intercede for me, which I felt immediately but didn't know why until we had a conversation. She had no idea what was going on in those moments, but asked "what was happening on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.? "
He also allowed John and I to get to Ginger's hospital room, where I was able to pray with her just 10 minutes before she passed, which was surely the Holy Spirit speaking through me. Those were just a few of the events that happened during that time frame, there were many other very hard things going on, and many wonderful things as well. I thought after that season, I could handle anything. Well, life was hard, but it got harder.
This last year has been a time of change and of heartbreak. Losing your Mom and the sister that is like a mom/best friend to you was devastating, but watching your kids struggle? Absolutely heartbreaking. As a parent, you want to fix anything and everything that comes against your child. You would willingly take their struggle upon yourself to save them from the pain. And when you can't . . .you feel like you aren't doing your job. Like you are a failure as a parent. You think that somehow you should be able to control the universe when it comes to your kids. To give them the desires of their heart, heal their pain, point them in the right direction, and sometimes you can't. And that is hard. So what does Jesus say about life being hard? He says:
John 16:33(NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Our suffering is not new news to Jesus. He suffered as well, and His suffering was great. He chose it because He loves you. He would have hung on that cross for you alone, you know that right? 🙏 And He didn't have to hang on that cross, He chose to. He could have said the word, and a legion of angels would have been at His disposal. Not that he needed them for rescue, He was perfectly capable of rescuing himself and all of humanity too, but you can be sure they were gathered and available, ready at a moments notice to attend to the darling of Heaven. And The Father? He watched His Son suffer and die on a cross to save us mere mortals from our sins. He knows heartbreak, and He created your heart, so who better to turn to?
So, what tangible ways can we get help living this life that is sometimes too hard?
- Accept Jesus into your heart. Acknowledge that He is the Lord and Savior of your life. Ask Him in, ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to live, welcomed, in your life. Trust me when I say that the heavens will break out into song, and your life will be forever changed. (Let me know, OK?)
- Pray. Keep that conversation open with the Lord. Talk to Him as you'd talk to your friend. He is listening and He eagerly awaits His conversations with you. I keep an open dialogue going all day long with Him. I tell Him how awesome His creation is, ask His opinion, tell him when I'm hurt, thank Him for His grace in my life, tell Him my worries and my successes. I tell Him what makes me mad or sad. He already knows anyway, but He wants to hear from you! He wants a relationship. It's what you were created for.
- Be quiet. Give Him time to respond to you. He has a lot to communicate back, but if your mind is constantly in a state of busyness and unrest, He will have a hard time getting through. He speaks quietly.
- Read His word! Even if you don't understand it, or you think it's too hard. Once you've become a Christian "follower of Christ", your heart is opened to His Word more than ever. His Word is healing and full of power. Be involved with it. He will speak to you through it. Get a Bible App, do a study, read a few verses and meditate on them all day. Choose a verse and memorize it, write it, say it over and over. Anything you can do will have a great impact! Get involved with a church! Listen to messages online.
- Trust. Fear has been a factor in my life this year. I have worried more this year and felt more helpless than I ever have before. I often wake up at 4 a.m. startled and worried. I've had to learn to turn off my brain, stop the rumination, and plead with the Lord on behalf of my loved ones. He dropped a question into my spirit one night. He asked, "Do you trust me?" I'd like to tell you that I said: "Of course Lord!" But, I wasn't trusting Him with this particular situation. I was trying to do everything I could do in my own power to fix it. Guess what? There are some things you can't fix for someone else. They have to be willing to receive and until that happens, you only have one choice. Give it to HIM. Can I tell you that I'm free of fear? No. But I have a considerable amount of peace, and I have decided to trust Him. When I feel the fear trying to grab hold, I recognize it, and I give it to Him. He is capable. He is worthy. He is God. You can trust Him too.
- Understand that this world is not our home. We were created for eternal life with God the Father. Our life on planet Earth is short, a training ground. We are to enjoy our lives here, but the Bible doesn't promise sunshine and roses every day. If this life was perfect, we wouldn't need a Savior. So on the days when life threatens to overwhelm, remember that you have a home in heaven with the Father. In a place where there is no more pain, death or tears. (Rev 21:4) In that place, you will be complete.
- Don't give up! God has a plan and a purpose for your life, and it is good! If you don't like the way things are going, change it! Be obedient to the Word of God. Take His advice! There is no better "How To" than the Bible. All the answers are there, and as James MacDonald says, if you choose to sin, you choose to suffer. Unfortunately, some of our trials are brought on ourselves as we choose to live our lives apart from our Creator. It's the hard way.
I hope and pray that your life has much more joy than it has pain. That you dwell on the good things and not the bad. That you have friends and family to surround you and encourage you in times of need. And I hope that by giving you a peek into this portal of my life, you feel like you are not alone. But most of all, I pray that you understand the big picture of life, that you are living it with Jesus in your heart, and that you Heaven bound. God Bless you today and always.💕
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