Doing The Hard Thing

Ann Voskamp, mother, wife, international speaker and author, writes a blog titled, A Holy Experience.  Recently she wrote about doing the next hard thing in difficulties.  That the only way to climb the mountain before us, no matter what it is,  is to take the next step.  And that requires doing the hard things that lay before us.

 It kind of describes a portion of my life in a nutshell.  Every one of the five surgeries I went through from November to mid June were challenging, whether due to being in the midst of the strong hormonal treatments for cancer, or having parts of my body cut off with the double mastectomy.  Each recovery has had its own challenges too, with the December disaster as we call it where the surgery completely failed leaving me with a long journey back.  Then two more kidney stone surgeries while fighting kidney infections.  And then the mastectomy.  The cancer was removed along with both breasts and 26 nodes which has left a big cavity under my arm and has me doing daily exercises to regain the flexibility of both arms. Cutting all those nerves and muscles triggered a big flare up on ongoing nerve pain.  Yeah....hard things.  When I look back on the past 9 months I am still amazed by it all.  And grateful.

So, don't take this post to be a lament about how hard my life is or that no one has it as bad as me........Seriously?  Being 71 and also being a pastor's wife, I know how many people get up every day and do the hard thing before them.  And on a broader scale, each and every one of us have to face hard things at some time in our lives.  We all find ourselves taking the next step forward in order to climb over or conquer the mountain before us.  It may look impossible  ~your situation~ but like Ann Voskamp says, "every Everest is scaled by simply putting one foot in front of the other." This Bible verse from The Message Bible tells us where we get the help we need.

"God will help you deal with whatever hard things 

come up when the time comes."

Matthew 6:34

In doing the hard things, we need to hold close the truth that comes to us from God's Word.  God helps us.  He not only helps us but He has given us a powerful tool,  Holy Spirit.  He empowers us, enlightens us, guides us.  Holy has been called the Helper. (John 14).  As you and I do the hard things let us never forget we are not alone.  The Helper gives us what we need when we need it most.