A Life of Comfort?

I remember as a young child my dad always asking me, "why do you always have to learn things the hard way?"

Most of the time, my answer was "I don't know!"

And my dad would walk away mumbling something about "being as stubborn as my mother...or something to the like."

But for some reason that has been a reoccurring theme in my life.  I always do things the hardest way possible.  But as I have gotten older, and I'd like to say "wiser," I am able to see the strengths gained from these experiences. 

Let me catch you up...

Family bike ride on the sandy roads we lived on..keep in mind our home was located in an area known as the sand hills...aka boondocks!  I couldn't pedal my way through the sand and kept falling off my bike, so I proceeded to walk my bike the entire 4-mile section instead of doing what my parent's suggested and get back on and try again once the sand thinned out.  Heck no! I was going to show them!  I would walk my bike slow and make everyone else suffer along with me.  It was just about as bad as listening to my sister's squeaky pedal creak with every turn.  Keep in mind this wasn't last year...

Or getting Mono between my Freshman and Sophomore years of college, losing a lot of weight, getting out of shape, not able to work, and being weak going into my 2nd year of pitching for our softball team.  I had to work twice as hard working out and working to make money to catch up with everyone else and to pay the bills.

Or tearing my ACL my sophomore year of college in the last softball game before Regional's and was unable to help our team out in advancing to Nationals.  And spent the summer rehabilitating, instead of working and making money to pay for the next year's college tuition.  And having to rethink my future college plans.

Or applying to Physician's Assistant school, awaiting an interview, and finding out we were expecting our first baby....and being terribly sick!  Withdrew application and focused on finishing my Bachelor's degree without puking as I walked across the stage to get my diploma!  And dealt with emotional issues related to this unexpected gift that I felt at the time was 'ruining' my future. 

Or putting my heart and soul into opening a fitness studio in our local town to provide health services for the community only to shut it down a year later because God was calling us to something bigger.

Or wanting a sibling for Leah at age 3, only to experience 2 1/2 year's of not getting pregnant.  But then receiving 2 baby's in a year and a half's time.

Or wanting to be able to just sit down a minute and rest.  Or go to the bathroom alone.  Or eat a meal uninterrupted.  Or not lose my patience by the end of each day.

 But being calmed by the Holy Spirit's still small voice reminding me that I haven't been called to a life of comfort.  Why haven't I figured that out yet with the pattern my life has followed so far?  No, I am to called to do His work.  And a lot of the time it is messy.  Hard.  Because it is a sinful world we live in. 

This just reminds me that this isn't my home.  I'm not where I belong.  It shouldn't be comfortable, or else something would be wrong.  I'm here to work.  To move.  To act.  To trust.  To believe.  To persevere. 

Toughening up and being courageous!  I have a lot to learn from this little rock star!

Blake put on the gloves to let out some aggression with big sister!

And as Casting Crown's put it: "We are called to be courageous. We were made to lead the way.  We could be the generation that finally breaks the chain.  We were made to be courageous."