And a sword will pierce your very soul. Luke 2:35 (NLT)
When God revealed to Mary that she would be Jesus' mother, her world was turned upside down. She faced judgement and ridicule. Life took on many more complications than it would have if she had not been chosen by God.
Even Jesus, as he faced the cross said "Can you take this cup from me? Can we not do this?" What he was facing was the kind of hard that is crippling. It was beyond what the human mind could wrap itself around. But, God did not change his path.
Mary went on to face each challenge and in the end do the hardest thing she would ever do. She'd stand at the foot of the cross and watch her son be crucified. When Simeon said that a sword would pierce her soul, I pause. As a mother I know what that piercing must have felt like. The pain is incomprehensible.
Are you walking through something hard? Does it feel like you are not going to make it? Can you not get your mind around what is happening or what is to come? Do you feel like you can't breathe?
Do what Jesus and Mary and so many others did. Look to God. Grasp hold of the truth that he loves you and no matter how hard it is, he is walking with you through it. When God told Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus, she said "I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Jesus after asking if God could take the cup from him said "Not my will but yours." Both bravely faced 'hard'. Both chose to stay on the path, not deviate from the plan, even though it was the hardest thing they ever did.
In the end, the difference their "Yes" made in every single life before and after is immeasurable. Keep walking. Trust in God's plan and know that you are not alone.