by Courtney Duzynski, 2022 missionary (rider on Mississippi Route)
We are meant to do hard things.
I have a friend who gave me a sticker that says: You Can Do Hard Things. The sticker is on my bedroom mirror. Every morning when I wake up, I look at it. I learned about Biking for Babies through this same friend. She told me how wonderful, fun, and meaningful the ride is. She also told me it’s going to be hard; you are going to be challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally. She said you are going to learn weaknesses about yourself and will have to overcome them. It’s going to be hard. Throughout my training for Biking for Babies, I picture this sticker and I repeat, “You Can Do Hard Things”.
Training has indeed been hard. This whole process has been hard. Increasing my miles per ride has been hard. Almost getting hit by cars and other bikers has been hard. Falling off my bike and having to get back on is hard. Hearing those I love trying to figure out how they can support me, while struggling to get behind a pro-life movement is hard. Getting over the fear and self-doubt is hard. Being pro-life when I am surrounded by many pro-choice family and friends is hard. Celebrating my Catholic faith and choosing to do what is right versus what I want is hard.
But we are meant to do hard things.
I witness people doing hard things every day in my job as a Treatment Foster Care Specialist. I think about my foster parents as they regulate a dysregulated and scared child. Helping a case manager by moving a child to his fifth home in a year because I know him best. Holding him as he sobs into my arms because he is scared and just wants normalcy. That is hard.
I think about unplanned pregnancies and the fear and uncertainty that can ensue. The choice the mother makes can be hard. I cannot imagine how hard the choice can be for a mother choosing life, after rape, living in poverty, in an abusive relationship, or having no support at all. That is hard.
But we are meant to do hard things.
There is beauty in doing hard things. Through the hard things I see how strong my body is. I see my faith and love for God grow deeper. I see a friend do hard things with determination, strength, courage, and positivity. I see foster parents grow in confidence with their ability to regulate and nurture a child in crisis. I see a boy who struggled moving to a new home now adjusted and feeling part of a family.
I see beauty in the pregnancy resource centers who support the women who seek the center out after they have chosen to abort their baby. I see beauty in the women who choose life. I see the beauty in a child’s life and a love greater than one realizes. I see the beauty in a family who is finally able to be a parent through adoption.
The beauty of a man who did the hardest thing of all; He gave His life in a horrific and torturous way to save ours. He kept moving forward, despite how hard it was. It’s the ultimate sacrifice because His love is unconditional.
Life is hard. We experience struggle, tragedies, and loss. Through these hard things we can find beauty.
We are meant to do hard things. We can do hard things.
