Because Life is Hard, it can be hard to accept the good that comes our way. But if we learn to trust again, if we roll up our sleeves, if we discover that there is a hope and a truth greater than what I see in the moment, we can learn to embrace the good that will set us free.

Because life is hard, many (most?) of us have learned that we can't really trust others. We've learned that trusting others can easily result in being hurt or let down. And while it takes vulnerability to try to trust again, there is a strength and an agency that comes with trying that opens us back up to hope and healing.

Life is hard, and the only real way of walking through it is to find something greater than that hardness - something we believe is found in God and those who act to love in His name. But even so, there is a very real piece to this puzzle that means we need to find what role WE have to plan in walking towards wholeness and peace .. in other words, we need to do some hard work on our own, too.

We'll all agree that hard times come, but we're not always sure what to do when they come. Discover three things that will make a huge difference if you can discover them in the midst of the difficulty. It's another step on the journey through the times When Life Is Hard.

There is no question that life is difficult. That's obvious to anyone who is breathing. But we still wrestle with WHY life is hard. There are many possible answers to this. Let's look at four of them ... and maybe even start discussing a possible response.