I’ve determined that life just isn’t easy.

My observation skills have been in overdrive lately considering and pondering far too many things.

Not much is easy.

  • It’s not easy being single.  It’s not easy being married.
  • It’s not easy living with your family.  It’s not easy being on your own.
  • It’s not easy having kids.  It’s not easy not being able to have kids.
  • It’s not easy working for a living.  It’s not easy being unemployed.
  • It’s not easy taking on something that is new.  It’s not easy sticking to the same thing for a long time.
  • It’s not easy being sick or injured.  It’s not easy watching people you love suffer.
  • It’s not easy exercising to become truly fit.  It’s not easy exercising to challenge a truly fit body.
  • It’s not easy being lonely.  It’s not easy being in demand.
  • It’s not easy going unrecognized for things you’ve done.  It’s not easy being recognized for things you’ve done, especially if you remain unknown for who you actually are.
  • It’s not easy when somebody else gets the credit.  It’s not easy when you get to take all the credit — or the blame.
  • It’s not easy when you don’t know what you don’t know.  It’s not easy when you do know what you don’t know.
  • It’s not easy to know what you want.  It’s not easy to get what you want.
  • It’s not easy to recognize what you need.  It’s not easy to accept what you need.
  • It’s not easy to view ourselves as others see us.  It’s not easy to stop trying to see ourselves as we believe others must see us.
  • It’s not easy to be seen.  It’s not easy to be ignored.
  • It’s not easy to stop writing like this when I could literally go on all night following this form…

With very few exceptions, regardless of what we do, or don’t do, there is an element of “It’s not easy…” to it.  Getting somewhere just isn’t easy.  Going nowhere usually isn’t easy either.  How often we long for or pine after something that isn’t our present experience.  A key point I’m trying to make tonight — and primarily to myself — is that the motivation had better not be because that “other thing” is easier.  Because not much is easy.

For me, this is a big lesson for some reason.  I’ve had to scrap the mentality of “if only … happened” or “it would be good when … finally happens”.  Sure, it has been great when some of these kinds of things have actually happened… and also sometimes for them to have come and passed by, thankfully.  But the value in these things must come from so much more than the thing itself.  It has to be about the journey to get there, or to survive it, or to be made more compassionate to others because of it, or to find joy, perhaps.

It’s not easy being green.  It’s not easy being human.  That’s the way it is.

But, “not easy” does not necessarily equate to “not good”, thankfully.  There are an awful lot of not easy things worth fighting for or fighting through.  And sometimes, even just worth putting up with.

  • It’s not easy to be a good friend or family member or spouse or parent.  But how good these things can be, and are meant to be.
  • It’s not easy to learn something new.  But how good that knowledge can be for us or for somebody else we can help because of it.
  • It’s not easy to put up with crap day in and day out.  But how good it can be when we take that stupid stuff and relate to another person because of it, or shine brighter because we didn’t give up when things were rough, or perhaps because we chose not compromise standards despite the constant pressure.

It’s not easy.  Anybody who knows their Bible knows that Jesus’ life was not easy. Anybody who has been alive for a moment knows it’s not easy.  But it is possible.  And there is value in living out the “not easy” things.  ”For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:36-37)  And nothing wasted either.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

- Not sure what a “yoke” or a “burden” refers to in this passage?  Take a look at this commentary for more insight.