It is definitely a fact of life that “hurdles happen.” Life is a series of experiences, many wonderful, almost transcendent and some much different, almost impossible to bear. As the hurdles appear, it is important to recognize them for what they are and are not.

Hurdles are difficult to get over. Running around a track is a piece of cake until they put up those 2-3 ft. barriers and expect you to jump over them. It takes practice to leap smoothly in stride. You have to stretch out and time your jump just so. You have to keep your eye on the obstacle and acknowledge its presence. You have to practice (with an occasional fall) in order to leap within a meaningful cadence.

But you can learn to leap in a fashion that gets you over the border. It is a hurdle, not the great divide. And if you think about it, they are set at just the right height. Once your jump becomes routine, its time to raise them a bit.

If you are running through the park, you won’t face any hurdles; they are reserved for the track. You get off track and the hurdles disappear.

Bottom line, a hurdle is set to test us. We either learn to attack them or find ourselves out of the race.

I am not sure what hurdles you face this week. Within the past few days, I have heard of a 29 year old struck with leukemia, the death of a beloved mother, the home going of a sainted father, the loss of someone’s job and a home that burned down.

These are all major hurdles. But all of them are a part of living in a fallen world. We will all face these obstacles as we ramble through life. The issue is how we face them.

Can I suggest that this week you and I do several things? One, measure the hurdle you are facing. With God’s grace and by His mercy, I believe we will see that it isn’t impossible to get over that barrier. It may seem too much, but “Be strong and of good courage, fear not and be not dismayed for the Lord God, even my God will be with thee; He will not fail you nor forsake you.” (I Chronicles 28:20).

And secondly, recognize that staying on course (on the track) is a very good idea. Eventually, our running will be adjusted to accept the challenge of the hurdles. We will learn to measure our pace, stretch our efforts and accomplish our goals.

Hurdles happen. It may not be pretty for a while, but with practice and patience, we will soar over.

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Sherry L. Worel