Desire and Access

It is 1:17 AM. I’m sat here at the dining table, writing and wondering. The universe is so generous, yet so demanding. So giving, yet seemingly unwilling to hand over its treasures cheaply. Why does life seem so determined to oppose us? Why do big dreams demand such enormous sacrifices? Why is every ascent met by gravity? Why does every meaningful journey seem to pass through valleys before it reaches mountaintops?

Then I thought, “Aaah…” Just like in system design, perhaps struggle is not an indication of a broken system. Perhaps it is an integral part of life’s design. Just like in every well-designed system, the endpoints (points of access) to the good things of life are protected. Life first authenticates us: “Who are you, and who are you becoming?”

Then it authorises us: 
 “Can you be trusted with what you are asking for?” The more valuable the resource, the stricter the access controls.

Actually, that principle transcends software. Gold is not scattered carelessly across the surface of the earth. It lies beneath layers of rock, pressure and time. Diamonds are hidden even deeper. Oil sits beneath oceans and deserts. The things we value most seem to arrive wrapped in difficulty. Perhaps life follows a similar pattern.

Humanity’s attempts to escape Earth’s gravitational pull were met with resistance. Gravity pulled every attempt back to Earth. Rockets exploded, experiments failed, progress came slowly. Yet mankind kept testing, learning, building, trying and believing. Gravity never ceased to exist, but persistence, faith, discipline and grit eventually gave mankind access beyond gravity. Resistance is often the price of elevation.

We see and admire successful marriages, wise leaders, successful businesses and generational wealth and often wish for the outcome. Rarely do we consider the credentials life required before granting access. The things we desire most often sit behind layers of resistance, and before life grants us access, it doesn’t ask for passwords, certificates nor tokens, it asks for character, tenacity, faith, discipline, resilience and patience. And often, the obstacles standing before us are not there to stop us, but to reveal whether we possess the credentials for what lies beyond it.

Every stable roof, every marriage that lasted till death, every family name spoken with pride, every opportunity handed down from generation to generation carries the sweat of a struggle that was overcome. Someone stood tall when it would have been easier to fall. Someone believed and persevered when doubt assailed. Someone endured when quitting seemed reasonable. Someone took the lonely rugged road when there were easier alternatives. Someone refused to surrender.

Not every closed door is rejection. Sometimes it is a request for credentials. I am grateful to God that, more often than not, He gives me what I ask of Him. I still find myself wondering why the journey there is usually so tough. Then again, maybe the journey was never just about finding the treasure. Maybe it was about finding me too.