It's Not Easy!

Roller coaster, life with God is a roller coaster. It’s not as easy as the movies make it out to be. Consider this, whenever we think of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we imagine a pregnant girl, a donkey, and a man walking besides them. It’s a beautiful image, and at some points during the journey it depicted the reality of the situation, but that was not always the case. It wasn’t always this blissful. What we fail to realize is that there was a huge struggle. Let’s recount the events:

1. Mary says yes to God’s plan (She is miraculously  pregnant with Jesus)
2. Mary has to tell Joseph (wasn’t easy)
3. Joseph wants to leave Mary (God intervenes)
4. Joseph takes pregnant Mary to Bethlehem (No place to stay AKA homeless)
5. Mary gives birth in basically a shed ( Not comfortable)
6. Mary, Jesus, and Joseph escape to Egypt (Long exhausting journey with a new born)
7. They don’t know anyone there (Homeless again: no food, no drink, no shelter)

You get the point… It was not easy. It wasn’t picture perfect like the movies, why? Because life is a struggle, but Emmanuel, God is with us! That is where our hope comes from. Yes, our lives are filled with struggles, but we are not hopeless, nor are we alone! God is with us as He was with Mary and Joseph. At times He sent His angels to guide the way, but at other times He was there silently sleeping.


Struggling is a part of life, but when we live that life with God it becomes peaceful, joyful, and not to sound like a cliche, but also triumphant. Life takes effort; it takes facing hardship; however, we are sustained by His love and His presence in our lives.


Keep going! God is with you! Yes, your life may be a roller coaster, but do not be afraid! He is with you! It wasn’t easy for Mary and Joseph either, but look at where they are now! Look at where we are now because of their struggles! This does not mean you should go seek out struggles, but should something arise, you can do it, just like Mary and Joseph did and it will sanctify you too. Jesus is with you as He was with them.