life is hard

there is an old song (not old as "the history of western music" might be measured, but you know what i mean) that has a simple line "life is hard, but God is good."
i've been reminded of that simple truth this past weekend. no, there wasn't any particular tragedy or mishap that reminded me that life is hard. it wasn't because of my back/neck pain (which is doing much better - PTL) or because of stress. in fact, i had the kind of weekend that most people would consider a "life is good" kind of weekend.
but when i look at the blessings around me, i realize the ways God has brought me to them. my wife and i discussed the overwhelmedness (is that a word?) of the new life in our family. but, that overwhelmedness (it's working, so i'll keep it as a word) is cyclical: i'm overwhelmed by the extra effort, the extra expense, the extra responsibility, the extra work, etc--but then, i'm overwhelmed by the extra love in my life, the extra strength that God gives for the responsibility, the extra moments of rest that fit in a busy day to be able to stay rested.
maybe instead of cyclical as the image, it's more like a roulette wheel. things are spinning. we go back and forth very quickly between overwhelmed by the bad and then overwhelmed by the good and then back and forth again and again. life is hard to keep up with such a rapidly spinning wheel.
but, here's where i know that God is good: i have all confidence that He will work it out. He is working all things for our good. and so, even before the wheel started spinning (before emmaus came to us), He knew where the number would land; He knew that eventually, we will land and stop on the good and that the blessings will out outwit, outplay and outlast the stresses of it all. we will not survive this life, but by God's grace that's not the end. we hit the jackpot when we rely on God's goodness and when we are fully yielded to His will for us.
life IS hard--no one can question or deny that. but, God is good and that's enough.

(ps - for those who know and appreciate my weird sense of humor: in the roulette reference above, do you know the winning number? in our family, all bets are on the "black one")