The Benefit of Hardship

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

​I pulled up to a woman’s apartment in mid-December. She was my last Uber passenger of the day (I drive for them when my editing work is slow). I needed to open the trunk so she could grab her Target bags. As soon as I stepped out of my car, my leg cramped. 

This was nothing new. My right leg has permanent damage after complications from surgery more than twenty years ago. It limits me, but I’ve learned to live with it. Sometimes, that includes cramping, especially when my leg hasn’t been elevated for a while.

I limped to the rear of my car, popped the trunk and opened it for my passenger. She grabbed her bags and went inside. Meanwhile, my leg continued to spasm. I didn’t dare sit back down in the driver’s seat. My leg would seize up. So I stood by the side of my car and tried to flex the cramp away. 

This went on for several minutes. If my passenger happened to look out her apartment window, I imagine she wondered what in the world I was doing, but it couldn’t be helped. Eventually, I moved the seat all the way back so my leg could be as straight as possible and that worked. The cramp finally subsided.

Life can change on an ordinary day doing the most ordinary of things. This was one of those moments. I knew my Uber driving days were over. So on the way home, I prayed for more contract work to sustain me and ended up with two editing projects, followed by another inquiry from a prospective client who was willing to wait until I finished the new projects that had just come in.

I often need a moment like this. Hardship pushes me toward God. If everything ran smoothly, I would be less inclined to trust him. And on this Good Friday, especially, that’s the last thing I want.