October 8, 2023

Hardship is a crucial part of what we do here at ALERT; as we seek to forge extraordinary men, we have found that hardship is one of the best ways to aid that process and mature a boy into a man. In Basic Training, I experienced genuine hardship for the first time, and it caused me to seek the Lord and his strength in a way I never had before.  Think about it: most children live relatively free from hardship, and rightly so, because they do not have the maturity to handle many of the sad realities of our world. 

But as I’ve thought about it, I realized that we grown-ups often aren’t equipped to handle every difficult thing life throws at us either. We need the redeeming power and grace of the Spirit of God in our lives to face the brokenness in the world around us. So, in reality, maturity isn’t somehow being able to muscle our way through hardship; instead, it is learning to throw ourselves on the goodness and grace of our loving Heavenly Father, who can hold us fast. 

“Come to me [Jesus], all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30