Suffering shapes us..."The Race"

An excerpt from a book...

If we suffer pain and suffering, it must be allowed for some divine purpose. We know from spiritual writers that suffering is often good for us. It strengthens us, humbles us and transforms us. Like the vaccinated child, we may not understand the reason for the pain, but we can believe that somewhere within the pain lies the seeds for our transformation and deepening maturity.

The bible describes God as a refiner who sits to refine the silver and gold (Malachi 3:3). A woman asked the refiner how he refined precious metal to further understand this passage. The refiner told her the importance of keeping the metal in the fire for the right length of time. "Keep it too long in the fire and you destroy the metal; keep it too short and the metal is not refined properly. ""Why do you have to sit?" asked the woman to which he replied, "I have to sit so that i can watch the metal closely. I don't take my eyes off it, and i must take it out of the fire at the right time." "And how do you know when is the right time?" was the next question. The refiner explained, "That's quite easy, when i see my face reflected on the metal, i know it is time to take it off the fire".

I like this passage. It is not unfamiliar. However, it provided understanding again why suffering is needed. In the midst of my suffering, i know my Lord never turns his back away from me. Although i am tempted to say like Jesus" Take the cup away from me", i know our gracious Lord will keep us true and through this whole jounrney. God knows when it will stop. I have to rest on his unchanging grace.