I Hate This Hill!

There is this hill...It's huge! I go up this hill almost every day and every day I loathe it still. Last week as my friend and I pushed our double strollers up this very hill, we were weak and our legs were tired. I could tell I had a cold coming on and it was hard. About half way up this murderous hill I yelled, "I hate this hill!" My friend laughed at me and agreed and we pressed forward to the very top. The mountain we were climbing was pure torture, so why were we doing it?

I had a reflective moment. We were doing it because it made us stronger. We were pushing up that hill because it toned our abs, made it so we could eat more dessert, and gave us the extra energy that comes with healthy consistent exercise. At the top of the foothill we could see the entire valley. It was beautiful and refreshing. 

Some days having a family is like pushing a double stroller up a mountain.  It can be really hard. Some days we really tire of the contention, the crying, the constant demand on our energies. We tire of doing things someone else's way or of trying to be patient through one more hardship. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we have families when it is so hard?

First, remember that what goes up must come down. All of family life is not an endless uphill struggle. There are wonderful times and easier times. However, when we reach the small peaks of family life we have the opportunity to be better stronger people, and we can have a new perspective and view of something beautiful that we are apart of. We have been refined. We have learned to laugh when its hard and continue to press forward even when we're tired. It's a hard thing but we can do hard things. We can love the hill even when it's Huge!