Struggle has been a common theme around our house lately. It’s often been my husband telling the kids and I we need some struggle in our lives. To quote him, “You guys need some struggle in your life. It’s good for you!”
I’m not exactly friends with struggle nor do I ask it over for dinner, but I do have to say sometimes I find myself yearning for it a bit. Just like in a good work out you know the struggle is only temporary and the results are tremendous. I have to share a story that most of you will roll your eyes at, but here it goes anyhow – my recent confrontation with struggle in a physical sense… A few months ago it snowed and enough that the driveway needed to be shoveled. I decided that morning that I was going to shovel the driveway for my man so he did not have to do it when he got home from work. I. Don’t. Shovel. I have a husband, a strapping teenage son, and an overly eager bouncy daughter who all do this strenuous chore. I don’t want to do it. I don’t have to do it. I wanted to do it to serve him and relieve him this particular day. I almost talked myself out of it several times and then I just went out, looked like a fool, sweated my butt off, and shoveled that whole dang thing. There was not a spot of snow or ice on that gorgeous drive!
What I have to admit was the pride and accomplishment I felt.
Some struggles are a choice. These struggles I would define as work or effort needed to accomplish one’s will. You may not know when you begin something the difficulty it will induce, but you know there will be some. For instance, say you want to learn how to play the piano. There will be struggle, effort needed. It may come naturally to you or not, but some work is required. This, we are somewhat prepared for as we consciously made a choice to learn a new skill.
Other struggles are not a choice. They come at us with a force we did not know existed. We have no control over the nature of the struggle itself. I would define this kind of struggle as a clashing war, strife.
Both are rough and painful, harsh and demanding. Oddly enough, both require the same thing from us. Whether we put ourselves up to the task or the battle shows up at our door unannounced – we were made to fight. We were made for struggle.
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” -James 1:2-4 (MSG)
Struggle is a gift. I guess maybe I should invite it over for dinner. James makes it sound almost fun and whimsical. I think maybe it can be. Perspective, I guess. My favorite is the next few verses…
“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believing, without a second thought.” -James 1:5-6 (MSG)
We don’t even have to know what we are doing or how to do it! Hallelujah!!! We just have to talk to our Heavenly Father and simply ask. We do need to believe. That’s really all He wants from us anyhow, to believe. Believe He loves us. Believe He is on our side. Believe He wants to help us through the struggle.
We are all in a struggle right now. All experiencing it, but each in our own unique way. My prayer for us all is that we come out of this struggle with a new story in our life book. It doesn’t have to be a remodeled kitchen or twenty pounds lost. It doesn’t have to be a new found hobby or an immaculately cleaned home. Maybe it’s a newfound (or rekindled) love for hand written letters or your competitive spirit has been reborn during family game time. Just maybe you have a desire or gifting you didn’t even know about until you actually were still for a minute to feel it. Can you imagine coming out of this time in history more passionately in love with your spouse than ever before? How about a friendship revived through a phone call. We don’t always have to think so grand and big and extravagant. Lets think about what will really matter at the gates of Heaven when we get to see our Jesus face to face. What if this story we are writing right now read this –
I truly fell in love with Jesus and received the gift of trusting in Him with my whole heart. I opened the Living Word and had so many conversations with the Creator of the universe. I loved my family and those close to me because I couldn’t contain the love that Jesus was pouring into me. I stopped long enough to steep in the presence of the Almighty Father God. I learned to hear Him in the noise of my household (to hear Him in the silence of my solitude). I learned the things that comfort me and strengthen me. As I learned I did. It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it to make the choices that eventually became custom to me. It became my nature.
Cheers to the struggle! Cheers to coming out on the other side brighter, lighter, and full of vigor!