by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Summer seems to be the time when people who spent a large amount of the past six months inactive ask “how hard can it be?” when faced with something new.

During a recent outdoor event, I came across such a person. She asked if I was going to participate in the event. When I said, no – I’m not crazy. I know my limits – she replied, “How hard can it be?”

Hard enough that most of the participants were experienced, had put in the hard work to master the skill, and knew what they were up against. Unlike this person who found out how hard it could be when she had to be rescued by one of those who knew what they were doing.

Remembering this scenario got me to thinking about the times we may learn someone is struggling to overcome an addiction and hear someone say, “How hard can it be? Just quit.” Those people obviously have not dealt with an addiction or observed someone who was addicted, nor do they understand the hard work that must go into overcoming.

For decades one friend has struggled with overcoming alcoholism. There are days she makes progress. There are days she doesn’t. You want to know how hard it is for her? Extremely hard. It is a struggle she puts great effort into overcoming, only to slide back into the same familiar patterns.

The next time we hear of someone struggling with an addiction of any kind, instead of smugly saying, “How hard can it be?” how about we realize it is hard for that person, offer our support, and speak the truth in love?

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Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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