I recently watched a recording of Gianna Jesson. She survived an attempted abortion in 1977 and is living to make God smile. She lives with what she calls “the gift of cerebral palsy” that she contracted as a result of her mother’s failed abortion. Addressing Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria – Australia in 2008 she said something that go me thinking. “My whole intent in living here is to make God smile.”
I believe firmly each of us is here to bring glory to our Creator. I like the way she phrased it. For me, she took away the possible perception of bringing glory to God as a burden. She took the pressure to somehow find a way to please God and replaced it with the delight of being an innocent child with a parent, delighting it that mutual affection.
I want to be that child, not the grown-up striving to please phantom expectations.
Gianna is approaching 40 years of life, and she has taken on grown-up responsibilities, such as speaking before Australian Parliament and the US House Judiciary Committee. These are not for the faint of heart, or for immature babies. Yet, when I watch her I see her joy bubbling up. I also see her love for people, her freedom and boldness for Jesus because of her keen awareness that her life is a gift. It makes me want to have that too.
Then the question comes to me: am I willing to go through a version of her “life school” to have those qualities? When these characteristics are genuine in someone, they are inevitably forged through suffering and trials. We all face difficulties and setbacks in life. The challenge becomes, how do we handle them?
So, when I face difficulties and challenges I must remember that God is on my side. He is for me, not against me. The Creator of everything thought of me and chose me before time began! He wants each of us to grow into our personal, unique versions of Christ-likeness. Each of us is the only person who can represent Him though our own distinct ways.
He is vested in our success and He promises to be with us through our difficulties. Taking ourselves less seriously and enjoying our personal relationship with God, is arguably the best way to make Him smile.
We are all in process! I pray I will live to become fully who I am created to be because I know that is what will make God smile!
How do you want to make God smile today?
Keep coming with these posts. This one really touched me personnally. Theres such joy and freedom in your puppy. As in our lives I think we sometimes we/I forget that there is joy and freedom in God.
I know what you mean. When I heard her say it there was an immediate soul/Spirit recognition of it’s truth, something I am drawn in to, not condemned by! It was both the truth of it and how she said it. She clearly lives it. I am challenged in a good way to let go of the “shoulds” and to enter more into the freedom to be myself.
May we all grow in this.
Andrea