Everyone wants to look good doing the hard things. Like the Renaissance artist who paints seemingly effortlessly, I wish living out my faith looked like that. But it doesn’t. I am more of a sweaty creative. I think I understand what the end product of glorifying God should look like so I zealously begin. I earnestly believe I am listening to God and following Him, but life seems so messy.  I cry out for more of His wisdom and keep following Him as best as this dark path allows, but still this is not easy and by no means effortless.  I have lots of questions for God – most of them starting with why or when. I beg Him to show me what to do and how to do it to make my life a beautiful mural with all the colors and proportions just right so it will best showcase His glory. Still my life does not look like what I think a faithful follower of Jesus “should” be. How can there be any beauty in all this struggle? At times I get angry at God but like Jacob I am not letting go of Him until he blesses me, like Peter I have nowhere else to go.  Eventually, I cease striving and relinquish my limited vision to His perfect design. After all, since God is the master Artist and I am His workmanship, He alone decides how to best manifest His glory. Who am I, as the clay, to resist the Potter’s hand?