Why Is My Life So Hard?
Why is my life so hard? “No one promised you an easy life,” is hardly an ingredient of empathy.
Why is your life so hard? Perhaps you’ve asked yourself this because you keep overcoming one obstacle and running into the next one. It might feel like God has left you abandoned and drowning while everyone else around you prospers.
Take heart, my friend. You are not unseen. You are not left to struggle alone. God sees you and even though you think your life could/should be easier, perhaps this blog and analogy can resonate with you today.
In middle school, 6th grade actually, I took a typing class. It was a bit intimidating: the keyboard, middle school, learning new skills…you name it. It’s all awkward. Elementary School was full of songs and assignments revolving around alphabetizing things in a timely manner. Learning how to type felt disorderly and unpredictable. Gone were my crayons and wide-ruled paper days.
I’m an 80s girl so computers were not readily available in my home as a source of entertainment. I was a rookie. Visualize the scene with me:
Teacher: Place fingers on ASDF and JKL;. Feel the little bumps and place your pointer fingers there.
Me: [Alarm going off in my head. Chaos. Disorder.]
The letters on the keyboard went every which way. But I noticed that A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are spaced close enough to make sense and far enough to require both hands. Despite my learning curve, with repetition and trusting my teacher’s instruction, I memorized the key placements and earned an A in the class.
Wahoo!
My curiosity peaked as I relived this memory.
Why are the letters ordered this way anyway? As one does, I googled.
First, have you ever read something on the internet that sounds wildly made up? This is it for me. The order of letters on a traditional keyboard is called “QWERTY.” I was today years old, y’all.
Second, this fellow (for history’s sake, his name was Christopher Sholes) decided to order the letters this way because typewriters would jam easily. To avoid this problem, he positioned the keys in such a way to slow typists down. The story goes that the most commonly used letters were then moved to hard to reach places.
I repeat, the keyboard was designed to slow us down.
The irony.
We type, text, send, banter, email, plan, and post at the speed of light these days.
Mr. Sholes intended our pace to be tempered by his unorthodox design. Perhaps this should be a pause for each of us. Consider this a reminder that with every key pressed, the words forming should be intentional and well thought through. Slow enough to matter.
Even more so, consider the spiritual life lesson here.
There is a time for everything under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The Bible clearly communicates that our life on earth will not always be peachy. Blame it on sin, really. That is the culprit. Our world is broken and we will not be restored until heaven. Even when we believe and receive that truth, the acceptance doesn’t take away the pain of being sucker punched from life’s daily speed bumps.
Does God place our desired life in hard to reach places?
What will it take to catch a break? I appreciate the honesty in Solomon’s words. He says what we are all thinking. Life isn’t always fair.
“I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.” Ecclesiastes 9:11
Reading this out of context can feel hopeless. But we must “accept the way God does things” even when they do not make sense (Ecclesiastes 7:13). Bind this verse alongside the promise that Jesus gives restoration, support, strength and a strong foundation to those who are suffering.
“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10
God may be strategically placing speed bumps in your path to slow you down. He knows your future and sees when you are about to get into a jam. What if what is making your life hard is actually making your life better? Hard to swallow but truths to consider.
Why is your life so hard? Does God make things harder for you on purpose? Sometimes.
He allows hard things to happen to you. Sometimes He orchestrates them to happen. Sometimes we see them coming, sometimes we don’t. Once we realize that God is in control of our lives, we can rest assured He’s got our best interest at heart. In the meantime, instead of graveling over what you can’t control, Solomon recommends we lighten up and enjoy what we can, while we can. Can we try that a little today?
“I recommend having fun because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:15
I’m rooting for you. Praying you grab hold of the strength God is offering you right now.
