Hard times, we all know them, go through them, what matters are how we handle them. When we are young we face hard times in the form of challenges; am I fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, so many questions, challenges that cause us to question ourselves. When I was young I was not a runner, I found running more than a block left me winded, swimming across the lake was out, and I would never make it, what could I do?
I remember seeing in the back of a comic book an ad for Charles Atlas telling me I didn’t need to allow anyone to kick sand in my face, and another ad for Jack Lalanne and how he overcame his inability to run or swim. He not only worked and overcame these weaknesses but went on to do amazing feats like swimming a mile towing a large number of rowboats behind him. I began walking a bit faster to school and running part of the way, I road my bicycle after school to town and back (lots of hills) pushing to get faster and stronger going up the hills. In the summer I swam several times a day,
I would also paddle my small boat around the lake a distance of several miles. I hiked in the woods, played ball. I saved my money until I could afford a York metal weight set, one hundred and ten pounds and began working out. By the time I was twelve I was five foot two inches tall and ninety eight pounds, but I could run all the way to school (high school now and two miles each way) and riding my bike up hill was much easier.
By the time I was 15 I six foot tall and I found myself falling when I ran, a lot. It was determined that I had grown faster than my joints could support and was fitted for knee braces, I continued to stay active. I graduated high school reaching a height of six foot eight inches and 189 pounds. I could walk for hours and run without becoming breathless or any pain. I went on to stunt work, play football, and spend twelve years as a professional wrestler. Challenges, hard times, yes I have had my share, I have faced them one by one with a strong conviction that I could meet my challenges and prevail.
No matter what my “hard time” was I faced it head on secure with the knowledge and Faith that God was and is on my side, who am I to doubt my abilities with that kind of support, a coach that strong on my side. Money problems, questions of my life’s direction, worries about taking care of my family, and many more questions plagued me. But no matter how dark life may appear, no matter how high the hill or mountain I faced climbing, I knew that closing the door and pulling down the shades only left my fears lurking outside my door as I hid in the dark, solving nothing, besides I have never been one to hide from anything. What should I do? I turned to my coach, the one who never let me down. I threw open my doors and windows and let the light in, I stepped out to face my foes with no fear, but instead with strength and knowledge. My hard times no longer seem so hard armed with knowledge that comes from knowing the facts and a strength that comes with God given faith in your ability to succeed. By the way I was able to throw away the knee braces and I swam across the lake and back on several occasions.