The Beautiful Struggle
Who told us that life would be so hard
Our past haunting us,
The future looming ahead,
We struggle to enjoy and succeed in the present.
I have given up the hope for my life to be perfect
Now, all I hope is to make one life better, everyday
And to let my scars tell their stories of hope,
Inspiration, courage & strength
Just like the Man who is also God whose wounds tell a story
Of His love for me
Whose blood flows out to cleanse, heal and renew me
“By his wounds we are healed,” says the Good Book.
Growing up, believing in Jesus was quite easy
Though life was stormy,
I had everything going for me
The future seemed golden until one tragic day
When all was lost—
Health, career, friends, family, reputation, identity,
And God, seemingly
I had no say in it.
In the dark I sat
Unable to move
Months passed and deeper my soul sank
And one day I found myself determined to sink
To the bottom of the Pacific Ocean
What happened to that bright-eyed, optimistic girl who had so much to give,
Joy and laughter and hope
So much potential, people would say
She was wading into the swirling sea, knowing in an instant all could be over;
She didn’t know how to swim, anyway
Suddenly a strong current pushed against her body
The power of the wave startled her and she stepped back
Shivering and soaked up to her shoulders,
Unable to lift my head,
I walked as runners and dog-walkers passed by
The autumn breeze blowing against my ashamed face…
Today, I’m alive and want to be,
But everyday is a beautiful struggle
Still, it’s beautiful.
So don’t lose hope,
God’s got your back
Though you curse Him, He’ll stay
Though you betray Him, He’ll embrace you
Though you can’t see Him or the future ahead,
He sees you, knows you, and had a dream for you since your birth
So please, don’t give up
And let love in
For love comes from God
And Love makes us come alive.
And then, one day, all your scars will become stories,
That will make history
As you bring hope to the hopeless
With the hope God gave you when you had none
Life, a beautiful struggle, is worth living
And one day, in heaven, life won’t be a struggle,
But a symphony of only major tones
With only the bright hues & sunlight
No more fears or tears, shame or pain
He will take you there
So let’s keep fighting, keep dancing
Until the last stanza of our lives
Singing, dancing, creating
Giving, loving, and enjoying
And most of all, soaking in the love and joy
God has in his heart for us
Don’t give up
Hope is real, God is alive
And you are one of a kind
The world needs you,
And your life will shine,
If you will choose to let His light through
In the darkest nights
I believe in you, you will make it somehow
I lift up a prayer for you as I write
The Man-God will come and heal you with his scarred hands
I love you, whoever you are,
Because God’s love now lives inside of me,
And his heart aches, it yearns for you.
You are not alone;
Your pain is felt within His own heart
He collects your tears in a bottle, it says
Give him the ache,
Scream out his name
He is close to the brokenhearted
The ashamed
And the weak
It is for people like us that He came
And the Cross says
He would rather die than have you die
So let him give you new life
And your struggle will turn beautiful
Like a flower that is crushed to release fragrance
I live today to tell this truth
God is with you—pray to Him, He listens
He is ready to make the change that you need
Nothing is impossible for Him
Just believe, my friend,
Just believe,
And watch for the change that you need
The sun will rise upon your life again
And you will never be the same
I have never been the same.