If, in all these eons, I have been a reflection of God's creating, why is this life so hard, and why do I have to struggle so much to know that I am a child of God?
A1 I understand that it can seem difficult to reconcile the idea of being the beloved child of an all-good God with having to struggle and face very challenging times in one's life. It's becoming increasingly clear to me, though, as I strive to live the unbreakable spiritual relationship we all have with our Creator, that it's precisely those struggles—the life trials that at times can see, overwhelming—that often become the avenue for learning and experiencing what it truly means to be the "loved of Love" (Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Healing, p.2). In my work, I often meet individuals who feel they've been blessed by having to confront a major life crisis or disappointment, because it impelled them to change and to actively cultivate their spirituality.
It's not that God causes, uses, or sends suffering. The purity and constancy of His all-embracing love is unchanging. Jesus fully understood this. His life example shows what's possible for us as we increasingly live our spiritual unity with God. But when we don't acknowledge it, or if-for whatever reason-we turn away from divine Love's constant presence and care, we may find ourselves struggling. And when we hold onto beliefs, attitudes, character traits, or behaviors that are unlike our genuine Christly nature, we may find ourselves suffering.
