It’s Tooooo Hard!

I am really not sure how it started.  How often this happens when couples are married for many years.  Little sayings and little rituals work their way into life.  Fun things and funny sayings become a part of everyday life.  Sometimes secret code words and phrases find a place with us.  We are usually the better for it.

Perhaps it came from watching an old TV show that had sketches with an adult playing a child character.  Or…it could have been a result of chuckling over watching children at some point in our lives.  It seems little children are sometimes overwhelmed with trying to do things or learn a new task.  The frustration builds and at some point we hear, “It’s tooooo hard!”  The new toy may get tossed aside.  The rain gear may get thrown to the floor.  The slightly snug new shoes may be discarded. 

Even as adults we can relate to that feeling.  That new project at work seems to be tied to unreasonable  expectations.  The budget doesn’t stretch far enough for the month.  Toxic relationships stress us.  The times we are living in can seem overwhelming.  At times like that, even an adult can feel like saying, “It’s too hard!”  Crawling into a cocoon and waiting out the storm can look quite appealing. 

Life struggles can feel too hard, too stressful, too depressing, too exhausting, and too demanding.  If we try to handle them ourselves, it feels even more difficult to deal with. 

For that reason and to break the tension during life’s challenges, my husband and I started our own response to that kind of situation.  We dealt with it by saying, “It’s tooooo hard!” in a high-pitched child-like voice when we were having a problem doing something.  It soon became a fun tension-breaker at our house. 

There are often times I need to remind myself of the one in my life that never has to feel like that.  It might be too hard for me, but it is never too hard for God.  As I struggle with the hard things in life, may I never forget God’s mighty power and influence on my life.  The answer is simple and obvious.  Rather than struggling with it, why don’t I just give it to God?  After all, nothing is too hard for Him.  All he had to do was speak and the heavens and earth appeared!    

Why do I make things so hard on myself?  Why do I try to do the hard things in life on my own?  If I truly live my life as God intends, I might never again have to say, “It’s tooooo hard!”   If I say it, I pray that he will remind me to reach out and hand my struggle over to his outstretched arm.  It might be too hard for me, but nothing is too hard for him.