Embracing Struggle
In Letters to a Young Poet Rainer Maria Rilke says “we must embrace struggle.” He writes this after noting that most people seek to resolve everything “the easy way.” When I read this a few days ago I had to admit I have a tendency to want to resolve things the easy way. I am certainly not one prone to embrace struggle. Rilke then goes on to say, “Everything in nature grows and struggles in its own way, establishing its own identity, insisting on it at all cost, against all resistance. We can be sure of very little, but the need to court struggle is a surety that will not leave us.”
Since reading these words I’ve given them a good bit of thought. Rilke has a point. When you look at nature you see that there is a sense in which everything “grows and struggles in its own way.” This struggle in many instances is not something bad at all but necessary. For example, I remember hearing about a person who came across a cocoon where a butterfly was in the process of emerging. Seeing that it was quite a struggle for the creature this person assisted the butterfly by cutting the cocoon. The butterfly was freed but soon died. What this good intentioned person did not realize is that the struggle to free itself from the cocoon is a necessary part of the process. It is what strengthens the wings so that the butterfly can fly. I guess you could say the butterfly’s struggle is a prelude to flight.
As I think back over my own life I cannot help but see that I, too, have found strength through life’s struggles. I can’t say I enjoy struggle but my life would be very different today had I been able to escape all the hard times or struggles that have come my way. It’s probably only human that we try to avoid struggles when we can but no one can escape struggle entirely. Nor should we want to. What I now see is that struggle is necessary for the building of character. If we do not experience struggles in life we, like the butterfly, cannot grow nor can we fly. I think that’s what Rilke was trying to say in his letter. I also feel it is the message sounded in the first chapter of the Book of James. Here we read: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (vs. 2-4)
I’m not sure how quick I will be to embrace struggle in the future but both of God’s books—Scripture and Creation—teach me that it is a wise thing to do. If I want to grow and fly I really have no choice. Neither do you.
–Chuck
(Above you’ll find two beautiful butterflies I have been privileged to photograph.)