Amanda Carrasco

It is common to think that the ideal life is the easy life. How great would it be to not struggle, to not have to work very hard and things all came together. I long for that at times – for what I think a normal life would be, with a white picket fence and the days would all be the same, but at least they are calm and relaxed. You work a 9-5 job, wave to your neighbours when you water your plants and take normal vacations with your family.

Last night my family and I were reading from Max Lucado. He talked about God’s reason to exist: and that is to glorify God. That doesn’t appear to make sense at first but he unpacks it really well. If you are drowning and there was someone who could save you, would you want that person to be very quiet, meek and timid? You would want them to shout and call out so you know where they are and that they can save you. This is why His purpose is to bring Himself glory. Only He can save us so He works to direct people to Himself and show them that He can save them.

My life purpose, now that I know Jesus, is to glorify God. It’s easy to think that a life that glorifies God is a wonderful easy life that is problem free. We are all cleaned up now that we are saved and our lives are the epitome of perfection – no more struggle, no more hard work, just kick back and relax time and watch the others flock to Jesus because of how blessed my life is. Clearly this is not what happens, but why not? Why would God not instantly make things easy for us now that we are following him and have given him our lives and hearts? Maybe it’s because we bring Him MORE glory when we walk through difficult times, when we work hard, when we persevere through the struggle.

Please know that I absolutely believe that there will come a day of the “easy life” when we will spend eternity with him and there will be no more tears, no more struggle and no more pain. Today is not that day, and as long as I am breathing tomorrow, then that’s not likely it either. So while I live in this moment and face what we are facing, I do it to bring glory to Him and show that even in the midst of the storm, He is still God, He is still the one who saves. I am not drowning, though so many times it feels like it. I feel overwhelmed by pain and grief, but my feet have not moved from this solid rock on which I stand.

This current struggle will subside, the tears will eventually flow less often and my brain will be able to process more things than just this trauma. Each struggle has its own timeline and depth of impact. Sometimes it feels like I just live from one struggle till the next but the truth is that I live for Christ and that one day He will come to take me home. This is not my home, a world of pain and suffering, but my home exists and until the day I get to permanently live there, I will do my best to be real about who I am and how God is at work in me- through the struggles, because that is what will bring Him the most glory.

Be glorified by my life Lord.