Having a Hard Time? Hang in There

Here are a couple of poems that have often given me encouragement and motivation when in the midst of hard times. For those of you experiencing hardships or just a some down time that seems to never go away, these poems are for you.

"Hast Thou No Scar?" Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot or side or hand?
I hear thee sung as might in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers,
Spent and leaned me against a tree to die.
And rent by ravening beast that compassed me,
I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar.
But as the master must the servant be
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
Yet thine are whole.
Can he have followed far who had not wound nor scar?

And finally, a little encouraging poem from Samuel Rutherford:

It cost Christ and all his followers sharp showers and hot sweats,
Ere they went to the top of the mountain.
But still our soft natures would have heaven coming to our bedsides while we are sleeping,
That we may go to heaven in warm clothes.

But all who came there found wet feet by the way,
And sharp storms, that did take the hide off thier faces.
And found tos and fros and ups and downs,
And many enemies along the way.

Too often we think we are entitled to avoid problems, or we compare our experiences to others and wonder why our situation is not falling out as favorably for us as for someone else.  Maybe we even think that God is somehow being "unfair" in his treatment of us.  As a former pastor reminded me, we need to develop a "hell up" attitude:  Anything that is above "hell" is a blessing since we deserve hell.  We rarely get what we deserve, but we often are blessed beyond what we should receive.  As you trudge through your hard time, remember that God has not forgotten or forsaken you.  It may "feel" that way, but it is not true.   

I like to read these poems when I am tempted to complain about my situation. They seem kind of harsh to read, but they remind me of William Law's admonition "Whenever you find yourself disposed to uneasiness or murmuring at anything that is the effect of God’s providence, look upon yourself as denying either the wisdom or goodness of God." God's goodness is sometimes inscrutable, especially in the hard times. God has not asked us to suffer as much as we sometimes think, and that is why I like to remind myself with these poems. It reminds me to be thankful for the "easy" way that my Lord has led me.  As John Chrysostom reminds us, "The providence of God shines in every object and every creature in the world.  Do not try to scrutinize God’s motives in acting so generously to you.”


Let me end this post with an anonymous encouragement--"Remember, after every winter is a spring. After every spring is a summer. After every summer is a fall."

Remember that even the life of a Christian contains cycles. You may be going through a hardship today, or you may have it relatively easy. Either way, let's remember that our ancestors in the faith faced even worse. Our way is not easy, but God is good. Hang in there!


Thanks for reading!