Becoming a gem...

My friend, Alyssa, posted this on her MySpace blog. Because of the recent post that I did about things my youth group has been facing, I thought I would share this with you. It is amazing.

"No one said life was going to be easy.

And I know I get this attitude sometimes of "THIS ISN'T FAIR." I've said it a lot to myself. Why did things go this way for me? This is not fair. I don't deserve this. What did I do wrong? All of these thoughts come to me on a daily basis. But, I'm starting to see things from a different perspective.

A Chinese Proverb once stated, " "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."

So, just sit back and close your eyes. Envision yourself as a rock and there's a Master holding you. He's holding you and taking sandpaper rubbing you. It's rough. It's hard. And it hurts. You look at your Master so confused. Why are you doing this to me? Don't you see that it hurts?! Could you please stop? Let me rest for just a little while. You don't understand. And yet He continues. He continues rubbing.... adding a little fire to smooth you out. It burns. It hurts. And you look over at all the other gems. Why aren't they going through this process? Why did it have to be me?!

.... yet then He stops. And He holds you up to a mirror and you see how you shine. You see there are no more flaws, no blemishes. You're smooth. You're beautiful and you are able to make something beautiful for someone. You're His prized possession. He spent time on you.. perfecting you.. helping you.

During that time you didn't understand, but now you see.. He did it because He loves you.. and chose You for such a time as this.

Albert Pike stated, ""That which causes us trials shall yield us triumph: and that which make our hearts ache shall fill us with gladness. The only true happiness is to learn, to advance, and to improve: which could not happen unless we had commence with error, ignorance, and imperfection. We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light."

Oscar Wilde stated, "What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."

I know times are hard right now. You feel like sandpaper is rubbing against you.. you can't get relief.. you can't catch a break. It feels like everyday.. you're being tested, but HOLD ON. Look up into your Master's eyes.. and notice how He looks at you. He looks at you so intensely.. making sure every area is smoothed out so that you can fulfill your entire purpose. And when He is completed.. He can see His reflection.

According to "How Gems are Cut and Polished... After a gemstone is sawed and ground to the desired shape and sanded to remove rough marks left by coarser grits, it is usually polished to a mirror-like finish to aid light reflection from the surface of the stone."

I know it's hard to not complain.. I'm there with you, but.. try and think of the purpose behind your trial you face today. Think about the fact that you have a GREATER purpose than what you face. Trust the Master to take care of you. Trust that He knows exactly what He's doing as He polishes..

... You're becoming a gem."