Who told you that you can’t make it? Lets be honest, this life is difficult. Whenever things are going great it is almost immediately followed by some of the most difficult times. Moments that are crippling, moments where you want nothing but to cry and curl up in bed where no one can see you. Moments where you don’t care to go to the gym or hang out with the boys. It’s like everything is a blur.

It’s hard, I know. But what if I told you that you need the hard times to appreciate the good ones. I remember listening to one of my favorite philosophy podcasts where the question was asked, “How many of you would take a pill to be happy all of the time?” Keep in mind this question was asked to a bunch of folks that discuss philosophy every week. Most of us would all raise our hands, but they didn’t. Why not? Isn’t this our dream, to just always be happy, to never experience pain, sadness, regret, or hurt? One of the philosophers took the microphone and explained. That pill of happiness would do no good to a person who had never experienced sadness, and that happiness is only experienced by its opposite and the greater the difficulty, the greater the happiness one can experience.

It’s true that right now you are going through immense difficulty, a time where you feel squeezed. It’s as though you’re being told to read when you can’t. You’re being given a weight that you are unsure you can handle. But let me let you in on a little secret, you’re being prepared for greatness. Take some time to focus. You have a task to do and this is the best way for God to prepare you. This difficulty isn’t going to last forever, but His promise will. This is just that moment before the camera focuses, it’s annoying, it’s frustrating, but the picture that God sees in you is going to be beautiful.

For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (Quran 94:5)

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