8.2 Is Following Jesus Easy?

It only seems like yesterday that this was true in my life, Hey Sus, do you wanna leave the house? Yeah. Great, come on. Sus, do you wanna leave the house? Yeah. My life is bonkers but I wouldn't change it! As in, having the two boys was plenty but God with a sense of humor thought that giving us twin girls would really complete our family. I'm actually the youngest of four boys and my mum prayed hard for me to be a girl and so I think that God answered her prayers in double through me and Sus. But if someone had asked me if I was ready for the road ahead before we had Luke, I would have said yeah but really I had no idea. Having four kids has come at such a cost and there have been so many sacrifices but yet, I wouldn't change it for anything. To experience the love and joy of being a dad is worth every tough moment and every dark night along the way. It's true that many of the best things in life are at times the hardest, like I've seen Jonny in some of those dark nights parenting, and let me tell you something, it is not pretty. But think of the joy of making the team, the joy is there because of the hard yards you've put in, or the joy of mastering an instrument after hundreds of hours practicing, and when it comes to working out our faith, it really is no different. It takes effort, it's not always easy but I've found that it's more fulfilling than anything that this world has to offer. Now, I've certainly experienced many bumps along my journey of faith and at times I could have easily thrown in the towel, from losing loved ones to experiencing major life-threatening surgery on my heart. When I was 14 around Christmas time, my dad passed away. It was heartbreaking and I could barely see how my life could move on. Yet, in those horrible moments, I remember experiencing God for myself. I struggled with unanswered questions but at the same time, I took comfort from the words in the Bible, 'that in everything God works for the good of those that love him' (Romans 8:28). God has brought so many good things out of my worst situations and strengthened me for what life has thrown at me. When I was 27, I would face the pain of losing my mum and soon after that I found out I needed surgery to fix a defect in my heart but here's the reality. Both of these events were tough but I can remember so clearly being rolled down to the theatre for my operation with so much uncertainty yet I felt no fear or anxiety whatsoever. My hard times had led me to God and the hope and peace he instilled in me has been greater than any hardship I've been through. Now, I know that life won't always turn out the way I wanted to. It won't always be easy or fun but I know that God is working it out for good. Now, we've spoken about faith as a journey, an adventure with ups and downs, and I've certainly seen some downs but I know that the benefits of having a relationship with God are far greater than any bump in the road and I'm excited for what lies ahead. I mean like Sarah, I can honestly say that the best decision I ever made was choosing to trust Jesus with my life, knowing I can rely on his strength as I seek to live for him.