Hard Things Force the Truth
String Music: A Newsletter from Dr. Hunter Taylor
Hard Things Force the Truth
The Touch of Grace
I know I’ve written about this before.
But I was moved again recently listening to Ben Sasse in a 60 Minutes interview.
He described his cancer diagnosis as a “touch of grace.”
Not because of the pain.
But because he believes God is using the discomfort to press him into truth - a kind of wisdom that doesn’t emerge without it.
That stayed with me.
Because when life gets hard enough, you stop managing appearances.
You stop trying to say the right thing.
You start telling the truth.
The Inward Truth
And I don’t just mean telling the truth outwardly.
Most people are generally honest with others.
I mean telling the truth inwardly.
I’ve seen this pattern in my own life.
Whether it was my own health…
my family’s health…
a painful situation at work…
or something I wish I had handled differently…
The pain had a way of stripping things down.
It didn’t allow me to hide.
And on the other side of that honesty, there was always something:
Clarity.
Alignment.
Wisdom.
The kind I don’t think I would have gotten any other way.
What I See
I see it with my kids right now.
Hard things are producing the most fruit.
A disappointing result in a class exercise.
A tough moment on the field.
A game that doesn’t go their way.
Those moments teach.
Not always immediately.
But eventually.
And I see it with the coaches, athletes, and leaders I work with too.
Hard moments reveal truths.
First, you need other people.
Teammates.
Coaches.
Support.
You can’t do this alone.
Second, you have to prepare.
There are no shortcuts.
If it matters, the work will show up.
And third, there are moments that call for discernment.
Not quitting.
Discernment.
This isn’t yours.
Or not right now.
And knowing that early?
That’s a gift.
Truth in This Season
In my own home, as we walk through a hard chapter with my wife’s health, I find myself saying something I didn’t expect:
I’m grateful.
Not for the situation.
But for what it’s doing in us.
It’s a touch of grace.
We’re telling the truth inwardly as a family.
And when we do, things simplify.
We align.
We know what matters.
Your Challenge
Here’s something to sit with this week:
1. What’s something hard you’re facing right now?
Not avoiding. Naming.
2. What truth is it trying to show you?
About your priorities, your effort, or your direction.
3. What would it look like to respond honestly?
Not perform. Not manage. Just respond.
The Final Reflection
Hard things force the truth.
Not just outward.
Inward.
And if you’re willing to listen,
It will show you how to live.
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