Hard Things and Fortitude

 We on occasion tell my daughter that she “can do hard things”. Also humorous at this point in toddler life, many things are hard to her. Sometimes, it’s the hard that I would think of when saying this to her, and other times, we get done with a road trip (albeit with a screaming baby and a toddler that is eager and doesn’t like to sit still) and she says, “A—— do hard things.” Hah, that’s right little miss, you can do hard things. But often I don’t think we tell ourselves this enough. We tell our toddlers this to encourage them to try, or to keep going, or to hope that they’ll have some sense of accomplishment from it when they do complete a task and next time it might seem a little less hard. While we ourselves don’t like to be uncomfortable. 

Intentional days take discipline, intentional lives take fortitude. We have to be okay with hard. The definition of fortitude will tell you that it gives you the ability to bear pain or adversity with courage. It doesn’t always have to be fun, but we could still continue on with courage. I think much of our generation is losing the importance of/or not learning at all, the lessons of fortitude. I’m thankful that I got to grow up climbing a mountain every summer, going hunting, and going after some lofty education goals. It taught me that when I want to give up, I really can keep going. What once seemed impossible when looking at the mountain in front of you, is worth it when you make it to the top. 

Some days parenting feels like that, hah. But sometimes it’s the mountain of laundry, the sleepless nights, the daughter that wants to touch everything. Now some of that doesn’t involve fear, pain or adversity. But it does involve doing the thing that feels like a little too much at the moment. Some days friendship feels a little like that. Starting from zero, finding your people, being available, being known. Some days marriage feels like that. When there’s no fuel in the tank and it feels a little like you’re just handing the baton back and forth, but not stopping to give appreciation, thanks, or even a smile. Some days following Jesus feels a little like that. God where are you, I need answers, I’m lost….

Going forward with courage. 

“When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. - Isaiah 43:2

The fire is there. The hard thing will come. But we have a God who is with us in the fire. I think there’s actually another story account of that. We, like my toddler, have a choice when the hard thing comes. What will we do with the thing in front of us? Courage or fear. Faith or defeat. Fortitude or just simply giving up. Sometimes, that hard thing seems hard now, but when on the other side might seem humorous that we once thought it to be hard. That’s often the thing about victory, we don’t always remember all the effort it took to get there, but the confidence can build for the time we need to be courageous again. May your heart become more and more steadfast, friend, relying on all God can do, and not on our own power and strength to muster up the courage ourselves.