The Struggle

When I was the Director/Musician for Swarthmore College Gospel Choir, one of the songs we rehearsed and performed was called "The Struggle is Over". The song was a beautiful ballad feel with simple lyrics... Wherever you are whatever you've been going through, God says, the struggle is over for you. You've been in this thing long enough and the mountain side has been rough. The struggle is over for you." My life has entered a season of struggle which, while I would love for it to be over, is not yet. These past four years have, like every other time in life, had some joys as well as pains, but for some reason, I am feeling the stress of life more profoundly than I ever have. That is not to say I think I should be exempt from difficulty, it is simply to notice that for most of my life I have not had much experience with struggle. When I think about my family, I can certainly see that they are more accustomed to hardship than I have been. It would also be safe to say that most, if not all of the hardship that I have been through in my life has been self-invited or brought on by simply not following the path of least resistance as it has been laid out for me. I see no justification in complaining, although sometimes I do grumble. When I hurt, I cry out. I do not always "bear patiently the cross of grief or pain." My goal in life really is to live with grace and dignity. So, whether the struggle is over or not, I must live with grace and gratitude for every blessing great or small. To God be the Glory.