Difficult

My seventh grade history teacher was fresh out of the Marines. He was also the principal of the school, and the coach for the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams. Whenever I attempted something I thought too difficult for me, he pushed me; afterward he would remark with an affable grin, “Now, was that hard!?” I usually blushed and thought, “Well it wasn’t as difficult as I had first thought..”

Some years ago, while my in-laws were visiting we watched an acrobatic performance on TV. A young lady was completing a series of seemingly impossible body contortions throughout her performance. Upon her successful completion of those difficult moves, my father-in-law said, dryly, “She didn’t learn to do that since just last Thursday!” Almost anything a person does with great success, routinely starts off with some degree of difficulty; a child learning to walk, learning to ride a bicycle, learning Latin, or performing brain surgery; little, and usually difficult steps are the beginnings of success.

Difficulties can make you stronger, more able to deal with the challenges of life. Notice that I said, “…can…” Simply being difficult, does not make it a curriculum for success or even overcoming an obstacle. But the opportunity is there, and may even be the precursor of accomplishment. Sharon Greenthal Blogged; The idea that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is based on the theory that by going through difficult experiences, people build up their strength for the next, possibly more painful event that may occur. While this may not be “the gospel” it projects much truth; Excellence is derived from skilled, dedicated effort; often failures open doors of opportunity.

Persistence suggests pay off when facing difficulties. President Calvin Coolidge said, – Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

When Zach, my grandson, was navigating the ranks toward the rank of Eagle Scout, he had to overcome many difficulties along the Merit Badge route. Some more difficult than others. The most difficult is the Eagle Project. He found that having conquered the many steps to each Merit Badge, he was better prepared for this final difficulty.

Jesus told the story of a persistent widow, facing an intransigent magistrate who kept refusing to hear her case. But she never gave up. She persisted in bringing her case before that difficult man, until finally, he gave in. Her success, in face of what seemed impossible odds, was due to her unflagging zeal to overcome the stark difficulty of dealing with this official. Her facing such difficulty brings to mind Winston Churchill’s speech where he said, ““Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never— a more humorous echo of persistence, comes from Doris Day’s song,”High Hopes;”

Next time you’re found with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes
He’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie
In the sky hopes.

I leave you with this profound comment on difficulty, from G. K. Chesterton; The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.(Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic.)