and be glad.

Life is meant to be hard.

Some hard things we choose - becoming a parent, going to school, moving far from family. Some hard things we do not choose - kids with disabilities, health problems, job loss.

Generally speaking, I believe in choosing to do hard things. Those who take the path of least resistance usually will find resistance somewhere along their life. A person who doesn't take care of their body (because its hard to exercise and eat right) will encounter health problems later in life. Similarly, those who don't master themselves while young will most definitely have problems later as a result.

An illustration: C was known for his sense of humor and happy-go-lucky attitude. He didn't really like school, so he didn't finish. He got married, but couldn't hold a job, so his wife worked, even though she didn't want to. She felt guilty for not being home with the kids, so she never took time away to build her relationship with C. After 10 years of marriage, they were divorced. Perhaps if he had chosen to do something hard early in life (i.e. go to school so he could have a steady job) he could have avoided the much harder experience of a broken family.

Either way, life is going to be hard. Avoiding hard things isn't the answer. Of course, sometimes we don't get to choose. I often think that I complain too much. My life is pretty chushy, and I know a lot of people who have it much harder than I do. But life is still hard. It is for all of us.

Motherhood is one of those hard things. The more I look at other people's lives the more I believe that children are hand-picked for certain families. Sometimes I think, "I must not be a good mother because my children are so crazy." But when I take a closer look, I realize that some people have angel children, but they also have uninvolved husbands, health problems, children with disabilities, accidents, job loss, and or a million other trials to deal with. Then suddenly I realize, "this is my 'hard thing' and I picked it."

I am learning so much by mothering these little children. I am learning patience. I am learning compassion. I am learning joy. I don't really understand why some women don't want this wonderful, hard experience of motherhood. Life is going to be hard anyway. Though sometimes I want to run screaming down the street. Or lock myself in my sewing room. Or send the kids to the neighbor's for the afternoon. This is my "hard thing" and I picked it.

Eve chose motherhood too. It was a hard choice. And she didn't have parenting manuals or a mother to call when she had trouble children or wanted to potty train her 2 year old or needed to vent her frustrations or get a recipe. It must have been a hard thing to choose. But she was glad. (See Moses 5:11)

I can do hard things. We all can. In the strength of the Lord, we can do ALL things.

Even hard things.