“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” Hebrews 12:7

In order to give my wife the new pavers she wants, this palmy, planty thing must first disappear. When I asked if it was valuable in the landscaping world, my contractor friend simply said, “nope!” And with those words, I set out to remove it…only to discover WHY it could never be transplanted in the first place. This thing is just one big system of ROOTS!

Having been told, “ALL those roots have to come out,” I didn’t think it would be such a big deal! Until I started. Dig, dig, dig, cut, chop, snip, dig! And while it LOOKS gone, I’ve barely scratched the surface! I have my work cut out for me and I’m already sore and worn out! Having started, it seems a long way to the finish. This is HARD!

I have discovered that ‘easy’ and ‘fair’ are NOT God words. In the verse today I note that God doesn’t even TRY to disguise that fact. He sounds more like a Marine Drill Sergeant than a tender mommy. Which is exactly the point he is trying to make. With a whistle in hand, God often barks and bites because He’s called FATHER! Having kids of my own, I appreciate the position.

This last year has been like a sea of emotions, with it’s up’s and down’s! Last night I heard news that will, more than likely, make life for my family and friends even more difficult. When I turned to God to whine, THIS is the verse that popped into my head. Which really means…hardship is where I’m headed. God already has my suit of armor ready!

To eradicate old sin, habits, attitudes and stinkin’ thinkin’ takes work. HARD work. There’s no getting around it. My conscience meter is ALWAYS running, pointing out areas that need cutting, chopped or trimmed to make way for God-like attitudes. I’ve TRIED to ignore, brush off and even disregard His directives, but it only delays the inevitable.

Hardship is a promise from God, but today I read a little farther to learn that IT comes with a promise as well. Verse 11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” And while I may rebel at the idea of getting righteous at times, I ALWAYS love peace! I’m pressing on!   You dig???