The One Thing You Need to Know (to get you through the hard times)...oh, and the winner, too!

I’ve enjoyed reading through your comments and what you think the hardest things in life are. If I wrap them all up, the themes I hear you saying are -- waiting on God…relinquishing control…dying to self…letting go of fear…trust…trying to manage many tasks in front of you…and submission in a marriage role. These are all at the top of my list, too! Great insights.

Oh, and childbirth, and PMS, too! (Oh, Amy…I can relate! Even right now as I write this post, actually! I know, I know...TMI. :))

When Mom and I wrote the book, we wanted it to apply to every woman, everywhere. We didn’t want to write it just for married women or moms, though that is what both of us are. We didn’t want to leave a certain part of the population out based on their current circumstance or religious background or season of life. That is why I talked about it being less “topical” than you might think. Though many of us go through difficult circumstances such as divorce, the loss of something or someone, infidelity and infertility, these tough situations reside inside a broader spiritual issue to deal with. Our circumstances in life may look different, but there are some things as believers that unite all of us in our struggle through life. That is where we got the 7 Hardest Things.

You can read the entire “birthing” process in the forward of the book.

Though it is difficult to live life in this day and time, others faced hard things long before we ever came along. Some of our favorite Bible heroes and heroines dealt with the most difficult circumstances anyone could ever face. Esther…going before the king. Hannah…first facing infertility, then giving up her son. Noah…building the ark. Daniel…in the lion’s den. David…against Goliath. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…in the fiery furnace. The list could go on and on. These amazing men and women of the Bible knew the one thing they needed to know to get through those hard times. And it’s the same thing you and I need to know today to get through ours.

It’s not that life will always be fair.

It’s not that you will never have heartache or pain.

It’s not that you will always understand the things you go through or never question why.

The one thing you need to know to get you through those hard times is that though they will be difficult, God will be with you. He won’t leave you hanging.

That is the message of the book.

“But even there, if you seek GOD, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to GOD, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. GOD, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won't bring you to ruin…” (Deut. 4:29-31 The Message)

The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do are…
~To multi-task while having a single focus on God.
~To be tolerant of some things while intolerant of others.
~To allow yourself to fail and allow yourself to succeed.
~To wait and yet, proceed.
~To hold on and to let go.
~To lead and also follow.
~To die and yet, live.

As you can see, these 7 things are really 14 things, as each chapter has two things that we have to deal with that make it doubly hard to do either one! But as you will see when you read the book, there is a central theme in each hard thing that ties in with its seemingly contradictory counterpart. And every one of the things you mentioned in your comments falls under at least one of these 7 “hardest things.” This book can be used as a Bible Study, and it facilitates lots of great discussion on each subject.

Please know this…my hardest thing may not be your hardest thing. And your hardest thing won’t be someone else’s hard thing. But regardless of your past, present, or future difficult circumstance, remember the one thing you need to know to make it through: that God will be with you. He is with you today…and everyday! I don’t know about you, but for me, that makes enduring the hard things in life “endurable.” From waiting on God to surrendering control…to having PMS. :)

Oh…and the winner of the book is…Susan!

(Though one of you “guessed” all of them and got them right, it was not without a little help from google. :) So…I disqualified you. In the name of the Lord, of course. :) And girl, I still love ya! :))

Susan got 5 out of the 7 right, so I will be sending the book her way! Just email me your address, Susan, at lwhittle@juno.com, and I will get it in the mail to you.

Thanks, ladies, for all your responses and for playing along! If you want a copy of the book, please feel free to go to amazon.com or christianbook.com or shepherdpress.com. Any online bookstore will carry it. Or check with your local Christian bookstore. If they don’t have it, ask them to order it for you!

Journeying through the hard things with you,
Lisa :)