Everybody’s Got Something Hard

Everybody’s got something hard in their lives.

• A situation they can’t see their way around or through. 

• A person who’s a struggle.

• Finances or work that stresses.

• Health that is failing or weakening.

• Children going a direction they never imagined.

• A marriage crumbling.

• Faith that seems faltering more than fulfilling.

• An accumulation of hard things, one on top of another.

I scan my mind thinking of each of my friends, and my belief that everybody’s got something is confirmed. 

Maybe they’re not dealing with the hardest stuff right now. But they have.

One of the hardest seasons of my life was one hard thing on top of another.

And it went on for a long time.

I’m going to be a bit vague – sorry, I don’t usually like to be that way but I need to be because it involves others.

My husband and I, along with partners, opened a business, Carolina Courts, a large, indoor youth basketball and volleyball facility. 

This dream come true was a huge undertaking. And more stressful than we ever imagined. 

Shortly after that, two extended family situations occurred. One required my traveling about every two months to help. The other was an estrangement from someone I loved deeply.

In the meantime, we were doing ordinary life of raising two sons and trying to stay connected to church and our friends.

The business, the extended family situation, the estrangement – these went on and on. 

For years. And there was fallout.  I wrote about some of that in this blog post, “How to Give Yourself Grace Instead of Judgment.”

There were many, many good, fun, happy things in my life during this time. And on the outside you might not have even know about the hard things.

That’s the thing about others’ hard places. Sometimes they’re invisible.

Others see the sparkly outside, not the hard reality.

One night I sat in my car in the parking lot of our business and cried me a river.

All I could pray was Jesus, help me. I am worn out. That was the hard reality.

And Jesus did help me. But I can’t say life circumstances got easier.

There’s a good chance that the person you think has a sparkly life, one filled with friends, laughter, love, and the comfort of material things. Even that person, or especially that person, might have a hard reality you know nothing about.

Or maybe a spouse or a friend might seem withdrawn or not as available for relationship.

Or maybe the Target cashier was snippy-snappy and offputting.

What if we say about others, They’re doing the best they can?

This phrase helps me extend grace, not judgement.

This phrase resets my perspective because I know I need grace too.

Everybody’s got something hard in their lives.

You now what I’d like to do today?

I’d like to pray for your hard place.

If you go to my Facebook and Instagram, type your name and/or send me a personal message of just your name. I’ll pray for you, taking you and your concern to God’s throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (ESV)

I promise I’ll be praying for you.

Melanie

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