“Jacob replied, ‘I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years.’” (Genesis 47:9, NLT).
I admired her and at the same time I felt badly for her. I watched from a distance as a young mother pushed a stroller with two toddlers up a steep incline. Her diminutive stature didn’t do her any favors for this particular task.
Yet as she strained against the forces of gravity, I noted that the back wheels were not moving. Upon closer inspection, the brake to the stroller was engaged. The additional resistance made her endeavor harder than it needed to be.
The story of Jacob throughout the book of Genesis is likewise a tale of one who made life more difficult himself. Though God had blessed Jacob with great wealth, Jacob frequently undermined his own success. On two occasions, Jacob deceived Esau, creating decades of enmity between the two brothers. Jacob had children with four women, setting the stage later for a dysfunctional family dynamic. Jacob’s willful temperament also led him to wrestle with God‒‒a match that left him partially disabled.
Life is hard enough. But sometimes we exacerbate the difficulty by the poor choices we make.
Here are some examples:
- Waiting until the last minute to complete a task
- Saying “yes” to too many plans
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not eating breakfast
- Not listening when others speak
- Telling lies (and having to keep up with them)
- Comparing yourself to others
- Punishing yourself for making mistakes
- Forgetting that everyone makes mistakes
- Holding on to grudges
- Making impulse buys you can’t afford
- Failing to have extra toilet paper in the house (makes for a really rough day).
The opening line of M. Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled, states: “Life is difficult.” Daily living can be a grind.
Yet while there are many circumstances beyond our control, there still remains an abundance of factors within our control. The kindest thing we can do for ourselves is to hit the pause button and weigh the outcomes before taking action.
So, the next time you find yourself pushing a stroller, check the brake before proceeding. The move may just save your back, if not your sanity, from a breakdown.