A Good Hard is Better By Far.

Hello 12th Mile Community…

How about a cup of coffee, a really good donut, and a conversation? Take a break from life’s merry-go-round for a bit, to visit, unhurried. Please join me.  And, I AM going to ENJOY my donut!

Let’s not depart entirely from our last devotional, The Potential in Failure! We can explore it a bit further, I believe. It is this idea: A Good Hard is Better By Far…

In 2016, twin brothers Brett and Alex Harris authored the book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Alex Harris is quoted as saying, “all effort—even failed effort—produces muscle.”

 

My first marathon attempt landed me in an ambulance. But little did I know on that day I had indeed gained new muscle! It led to an extraordinary reach in a little corner of my world, one I never saw coming! It became a powerful tool! I share this experience in depth in The 12th Mile. Three years later, I crossed the marathon finish line on my own, without an ambulance! What was the difference? A 3-year span of hard physical education I will never forget! In my first effort, I did not train properly. I did not do the necessary preparation because I did not take the time to learn what it was! My disregard proved neither healthy nor good! I got hurt! Three years later, I engaged in the good, hard work of solid preparation, and an entirely different story was written. Training was still hard, but it was GOOD! A GOOD HARD! I treated my body with respect, and on race day, I crossed the finish line using my own legs.

However, the story was not done! God used it again! Another 4 years later I volunteered at another endurance event of 15.5 miles—we here in Grand Rapids know it as the Amway River Bank Run. Midway through the race an incredibly fit runner approached the 12^th Mile Aid station where I was handing out Gatorade, water, and LOUD cheers to competitors. She was injured and struggling to run, even at a very slow pace. God led our initial conversation, which led to my becoming her new running buddy for the rest of the race. The conversation that I had with her during the last 3.5 miles of our run together would not have been possible without my initial failed attempt and the  subsequent training I had done leading to a successful finish in my 2nd attempt.  God, himself, out of the thousands of runners that I saw that day, joined Anna and I together in a run that was literally heaven-sent. And the Lord…will use Anna’s story…and on it goes! Amen!

Hard life seasons are the same. God redeems everything for his ultimate purposes. This has been the primary lesson I have learned over and over again in running the harder still.  Its story began in a season I never would have chosen. What started as something small became preparation for something much harder. There were moments when I felt completely stretched—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. There were questions I didn’t have answers to. There were days when simply taking the next step felt like enough. But over time, I began to see something I had missed in the middle of it. God was present in every part of the journey. Not always in ways I expected—but in ways that were steady, faithful, and enough for that next step. I didn’t write The 12th Mile because the story was easy. I wrote it because I saw that even the hardest seasons are not wasted in God’s hands. My hope is that when you read it, you feel seen—and reminded that your own hard season is not without purpose.

So, the powerful Potential in Failure does something far beyond what we may claim if we try again. It equips us to share the WISDOM from doing the GOOD HARD with someone who needs to hear our story. It becomes ministry. It becomes the message we are privileged to steward! My friend Shandy is a living testimony to this truth. She graciously allowed me to tell her story in The 12^th Mile. You can see her work at embracingimperfections.com. You can meet her in person at tomorrow’s launch if you are able to drop by. ;o)

In the end, my lesson from God is this: Hard is NOT necessarily bad. Hard is often just hard—and in God’s hands, it becomes formation.

Reflection Invitation: What is a season in your life that felt overwhelming at the time, but shaped you in ways you can now recognize?

 

Romans 8:28: We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (MSG)

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

With Love,
Louise Ann

 

Harris, Alex , and Brett Harris. 2016. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectaions. 1st ed. Multnomah Chidren’s., p.22