From Burdens to Blessings?

"There is no burden so heavy that, when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts, will not become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers, so to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss a new opportunity for growth." -J. R. Miller

It's so easy in stressful situations to fall into the trap of thinking to yourself, "God, why are you letting this happen to me?" or "I don't deserve this." We too often forget to realize that God is using these trials to mature us and challenge us and grow us into better people who love Him even more. 

This makes me think of fulgurites. What is a fulgurite, you ask? Do you remember the scene in Sweet Home Alabama when Jake is pounding those metal poles into the sand right before the storm, and we find out he has an entire store full of those sweet-looking glass decorative ornaments? Those are fulgurites- it's what is produced when lightning strikes sand. Although they don't look nearly as cool in real life (they used blown glass in the movie) the analogy works just as well. Lightning must be at least 3,270°F to form fulgurites in the sand. In other words, the sand is put through extreme heat and "trials" and pressure, but instead of dying or becoming any less beautiful, it forms into these exquisite fulgurites. 

We are that sand. Sometimes it's easy to get envious of our friends who haven't had to go through hell and back in their lives, because we think it'd be so much easier to just live the Average Jane life and not get tried at all. But if we did this, we'd miss an opportunity to grow into someone better than we could become on our own. If this is the case, then I say let's bring on the rain. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:2-4

With love,

S