For when things are hard

I remember a day when I was homeschooling Braeden and he was little.  He was frustrated because he couldn't spell and he started to cry.  "Why do I have to learn English?" he wailed, "another language would be easier.  This is too hard!"

When you homeschool your kids, you get that a lot.  There's plenty of, "This is too hard."  Because school is hard sometimes.  And it keeps getting harder.

It's easy to see, as the teacher, that it has to keep getting harder.  If this year's math isn't harder than last year's math, what's the point?  You aren't learning. 

Life is the same way.  It keeps getting harder.

It does.

More is expected of us, all the time.  Just when we think we have addition mastered, subtraction is thrown in the mix.  Then multiplication, then division!  When does it end?

Life keeps changing in it's dynamic lifey way and we adapt, our capacity increases.  And it's not bad, just because it's hard, it just takes adjusting to.  A senior in high school has a lot more on his plate than a kindergartner but the senior probably wouldn't trade places with the kindergartner.  (Being a senior comes with a whole lot of perks too.)

As a teacher, I know that the assignments have to keep getting more complex and they have to be challenging.

As our Father, God knows the same thing.

As a teacher, I am pretty good at knowing what my students can handle.  I have a good idea of what is hard enough and appropriate for growth.

Heavenly Father, being perfect, knows even better what is hard enough and appropriate for growth.

A few weeks ago at church, I was sitting in a class and the teacher was talking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  One of my favorite scriptures was mentioned:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

My teacher analogy went a step further. 

When I give a math assignment that is "too hard" in Mark's estimation, he has a few choices.  He can sit there in a grumpy funk and complain bitterly about it being too hard, or he can ask me for help.

I don't give him assignments that at least without a little nudge from me, he can't do.

Heavenly Father doesn't give us assignments or challenges we can't do either. 

We need to ask for help!

And do I ever need help.  I had quite a weekend.  It started on Friday with a visit to the dentist getting old fillings replaced.  And it didn't really improve from there.  There was drama, trauma, worry, tears, headaches, and a disappointing trip to Ikea.  Even Ikea!  Where everything is always happy!  (Except for when it isn't.)

I feel a little like I've been hit by a truck.

But today's a new day.  I have people who love me.  And as uphill as the battle feels,  I must be up to the challenge because it's my battle.

Here I go!