Why do we need hardship in our lives?
Previously, I shared my lengthy journey to secure a Graduate position.
In the post above, I mentioned how my church community gathering managed to bring me out of the unemployment depression. This blog post will be my detailed account of the host's sharing and why I resonated deeply with it.
It was close to Christmas, so the host started by sharing the scriptures:
The nativity scene from Mother Mary's point of view.
Brief backstory if you are not a Christian and are unclear about the nativity scene:
Mary was heavily pregnant with Jesus when she was on her way to Bethlehem. Since all the inns are full, she and her husband, Joseph spent the night at a stable.
Imagine how difficult it is to travel about while heavily pregnant. Labour is already beyond difficult, let alone in a dingy place like a stable!
Then the host said:
"God loves giving us hardship."
Now, I'm sure you and I share the first impression upon hearing this. That sounded so wrong! Shouldn't God be all-loving, kind and merciful?
And the host continued:
"Because if everything is easy, we don't need God."
It clicked.
Wouldn't that make me arrogant, because I'm versatile? And cold, because I don't need anyone anymore? Not even God Himself!
God gives us the free will to think, decide and act on our own. At the same time, he wants us to rely on Him too.
There's this fine line between complete free will and being submissive to Him.
As for me, I am too focused on securing a job on my own that I've completely forgotten to turn to Him.
Throughout the sharing, I noticed she had her microphone on her left and a tennis ball on her right.
Why a tennis ball?
Just as I was wondering about the purpose of the tennis ball...
Rebounding from hardship: a tennis ball analogy
"God gives us hardship because he designed us to rebound through hardship and return stronger," she said while holding the tennis ball up high for us to see. "Just like this tennis ball!"
"We all know tennis balls are designed to bounce," she began. "If I bounced it on a soft carpet like this..."
She bounced the tennis ball onto the carpet she was stepping on. The tennis ball barely bounced so she had to bend over to pick it up.
"...it doesn't bounce as much. However, on a hard surface..."
She walked towards the hardwood floor (yes, only a small portion of the hall is carpeted) and repeated the experiment. This time, the tennis ball bounced much higher than everyone (me included) wow-ed. Like children in a science fair!
What an interesting analogy!
We all know hard surfaces are better for reflecting anything and soft surfaces, absorb. This is just simple science, but turning this into a self-development metaphor? Genius.
And demonstrating it in front of our own eyes? Preaching at its best!
We all need hardship in our lives because hardship forms character.
This is a bitter pill to swallow. Who loves hardship? After all, we are taught the ideal dream life is to live luxuriously without the need to even lift a finger!
Still, I believe hardship is the best guru of everyone's lives because they define and refine one's character.
Hardship is the fertiliser of personal growth.
How does one respond to challenges? And how does one overcome it?
What has been learned? Any improvement?
If it happened again... will one still react the same way he/she once did?
Why do I resonate so deeply with this sharing? That's because I've been doing the same throughout my unemployment.
I did not fulfil most of the employer's prerequisites, resulting in mountains of rejections that pushed me to depression.
I have been through a lot in the mere six months.
As much as I never want to relive those moments again...
Through the unfulfilled prerequisites, I learned the importance of upskilling.
Through the rejections, I learned perseverance and resilience.
Through the depression, I learned to love myself and slow down when I need to.
And through these hardships, I learned gratitude.
Grateful that it is over.
That it turned out well.
Most importantly...
That I do not walk this journey all alone. All thanks to Him blessing me with my family and supportive friends.
All in all, hardships are the catalyst for our personal growth and development.
Facing an obstacle? Don't run away. Embrace it and jump over it!
Amen!
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