YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS

"I can do all this through Him that gives me strength."

Phil. 4:13

A couple of years ago I heard a young women speak at Bible Study in Houston.  Her name was Rachel and she blessed me so as she shared her heart.  I'm praying it blesses you as well.

Now, Rachel and I are at two very different stages in our lives.  She has little ones running around and my “babies” are in their 30’s.  She is so beautiful and looks like an advertisement for the perfect young woman who has that “natural” look.  It would be really scary if I showed up at the church with the “natural” look.  At this point, I need extra coverage makeup and it needs to be in a formula that you can’t sweat off when you have a hot flash!  She is working out and I’m wearing out! 

However, in all our differences, she spoke such a profound word over me when she said, “Ladies, we can do hard things.”  She’s right.  At the best of times, life can be breathtaking.  You know, a little like a roller coaster in an amusement park.  It is really exhilarating at the top and the views are extraordinary,   but some of those twists and turns can make you think you just might throw up!  During some of the more challenging seasons, you just might lose your lunch a time or two!   But, Rachel is right, girls, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!

We can be up all night with a sick child and still pull it together to get our work done the next day.  We can go head to head with a rebellious teen that refuses to cooperate and still think he is the cutest thing ever.    We can encourage our husbands, when we flat don’t feel like it and frankly could use a kind word ourselves.  We can sit with our parents at a doctor’s appointment when we can barely comprehend the words we are hearing.  Words like malignant, dementia, terminal, or hospice.  Ladies, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!

I have one little grand daughter and I can tell you she was not born with a super-power any more than our grandsons were. She is sweet, so girly and dreams of being a Princess.   If I could pray away all difficulties for her, I would.   But I have lived long enough to know even a Princess CAN DO HARD THINGS!    

We are greatly blessed to have a time to establish relationships with other women who can stand beside us and hold us up when the hard times come.  We have shoulders that can share burdens, tears that convey our feelings and hands that cannot help but reach out to help a hurting soul.  We can each do our part to grow into mature believing women who recognize that we really don’t have to do the hard things all by ourselves.  We have our “sisters” and we have a God who promises that we can do all things through Him who is our Strength!  

In the midst of this very short life, and extremely busy season, Rachel is right.  LADIES, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!