Diamond in the Rough

My last post was about how difficult 2015 was. The challenges continued into 2016. As tough as the circumstances have been, I have to be thankful for the personal growth this season of difficulty has stimulated. Isn't that always how life works? Out of pain and pressure beautiful things emerge. High temperatures and pressure deep under the earth's surface result in the formation of diamonds. That is what we are--diamonds in the rough.  When first mined, diamonds are not the brilliantly faceted gems that we see in jewelry stores--they are rough rocks that need to be cut and polished to realize their full potential. That is what life is for us--through the joys and challenges we face each day the master jeweler is cutting and polishing us to bring out our best qualities. He sees the potential in the rough stone. With each cut he is shaping us into the person that He created us to be.