Wouldn't It Be Easier?

The Lord has been hard at work with me and my life.  It's hard to exactly explain how, but I just can feel Him at work.  The work has been centered along the lines of an easy life.  And how that is NOT what we are called to.

 Yes.  I realize that life would be EASIER if our family size didn't keep expanding.  Yes.  Life would be EASIER if Owen didn't have Angelman Syndrome.  Yes.  Life would be EASIER if I didn't milk cows and live on a farm.  There are many other examples...I'm sure you get the picture. 

But just because life would be easier--does that mean it would be better?

NO! That is my answer.  Easier is not better.  It's just easier. We weren't called to the easy life.  We're called to walk with the Lord.  This means a life with ups and downs.  But no matter our elevation at each and every moment, we can rest securely in the fact that He is with us. 

All of His recent work in my life really became clear to me in the middle of the night as I was up with Owen. Did I mention that he doesn't sleep much?  2:00 am has been his wake up time recently....but I digress...It was at this hour of the morning (night?) that I had one of those light bulb moments. Things began to make a little more sense.

I was responding to an email on my phone as I snuggled with Owen trying to get him back to sleep, and wrote this...

"The Lord has been working on us as parents through Owen. He is challenging, but has been good at forcing us to grow more and lose some selfish traits that we probably would have clung to without him. "

I realized at that point that an easy life is a life not living to our full potential.  It is through the hard times that the Lord polishes us and conforms us--making us more like Himself.  Rejoicing in the hard times is difficult.  But the Lord carries each and everyone of us and knows the beginning from the end.  Everything that happens--even when things aren't easy--are for our good as believers.   

Yes, there are times when I wish that life was easier. I might even complain about it. (Something I'm really working on!)  But I am learning to be grateful for the purging the Lord has been doing on me through hard times.  I rest in the fact that the Lord has my whole life in His hands and I can trust Him to carry me through.    

5 of our 6 blessings--thank you Lord!

 

Please join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemaker.