17 Apr Diamonds and Coal by Andrea Graff
I love diamonds. Typical girl, I know. But even men would argue that they’re pretty incomparable. There aren’t many stones on their level. The funny thing about a diamond is that it starts as a plain, unattractive mineral called carbon. It’s then subjected to high temperatures and intense pressure until it becomes the strong, beautiful gem we know as a diamond. This diamond isn’t just beautiful; it’s also the hardest, toughest mineral there is.
When it’s a piece of carbon, I’m sure that little diamond doesn’t see what it can become. But you know who does? The jeweler. He knows that little piece of carbon has beauty and strength in it, and the only way to get it out is through refining.
That’s exactly how we can be. It’s hard for us to see past what we think is plainness or weakness. We may not see anything beautiful or special about ourselves. But just like the jeweler sees beauty and strength in the diamond, God sees it in us. And so He constantly refines us. What we see as fire, as something that is painful or uncomfortable, He knows is the very thing that is making our lives beautiful. That’s why we’ve got to see the whole, big picture. If we only see the moment, we’ll never be happy. But if we see what’s happening behind the scenes, we’ll wake up every day excited.
God sees you. He knows your end from the beginning. He knows how to get you from where you are to where you can be. How to make your life beautiful. Oftentimes, beauty begins in brokenness, and that’s okay. God doesn’t think less of us when we are broken because He sees the beauty all along. The refining process shouldn’t get us down; it should make us expectant. We shouldn’t just endure the season of refining and waiting, but enjoy it, because we know there’s something beautiful coming.
God knows, y’all. He knows how beautiful your life can be—and Ephesians 3:20 says that it’s more than you can ever hope think or imagine. And you know what’s even better? He knows exactly what needs to change to get you there. He knows exactly what fires need to refine you to make your broken turn into beautiful.
You are never too broken, lost, hurt, old, abused, confused or used for your life to turn into something wonderful. That’s just what God does. That’s the business He’s in. So, if you’re in a refining season today, I hope you’ll choose not just to endure it but to enjoy it. Live each day with joyful expectation because you know that your broken is being made beautiful.
Andrea Graff
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