Life is hard no doubt. We are born under difficult circumstances with pain and crying and it it just never seems to end until the day they lay us back into the ground. Many have not made it past 10 years old while others have struggled with deformity and lifelong maladies. Life is not easy and there is struggle in every part of the Earth.
Yet despite this struggle, there are moments of joy, ecstasy and wonderment. This unforgiving world we live in is bathed in beauty and order. The systems in place never fail and the sun rises and sets every day. We live in an awesome place and are surrounded by billions of unique and interesting characters who inhabit this existence with us.
The challenges and tribulations we endure make us who we are. We all have our own special story to tell and each is just as compelling as the last. None of these amazing tales came by a life free of pain and suffering. They all were born of hardship, tragedy and struggle. Why must it be so hard? Why must there be so much torture and uphill climbs to bring about enlightenment and hope?
The good book tells us that we will one day be the jewels in the crown of our Creator. Zechariah 9:16. A jewel is a perfect analogy to a life well lived. The diamond is the hardest mineral on earth. It is used to slice apart asphalt on our roads and to cut glass into pieces. It also adorns the hands of our loved ones and bedazzles the earlobes of our women. It's beauty and perfection are treasured the world over and it has become the symbol for the best in every category. Five diamond resorts are the best in the world.
A diamond must endure much to emerge from the earth as the hardest thing on earth. It forms in the belly of the earth under much pressure and heat over millions of years. Once excavated, it is cut and polished to its own perfection. Every diamond is unique in cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The older or more unique the diamond, the more value it commands. The greater the sparkle, the greater the appeal. Diamonds are the foundation of currency and the riches of queens. They are small in size but more valuable than gold.
The human being that has endured is like the diamond. In order to fulfill our potential, we must experience heat and pressure over many years. Once we emerge from this crucible, we must be cut and polished to reveal our perfection. We humans are all unique in our shape, our clarity of thought, our color and our weight upon the earth below us. The older and more unique members of our society are sought after and lavished with praise and riches. Those who sparkle are the ones we gravitate towards as if to be in the presence of something special. The truth is we are all special.
The Bible states "blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." This is why life is so hard. We are to become like jewels in the crown of our Creator. Shining and sparkling from the cut and polishing by the hands of the One who guides us and formed us from the dust. Woe to the one who does not endure hardship and long suffering. For their future is one of darkness and oblivion.
Embrace your challenges. Welcome and be grateful for your shortcomings. Celebrate your special uniqueness and understand that one day you will shine and perfectly reflect the light of the Originator of life and will guide the steps of others. Encourage others to do the same and treat one another as the diamonds they are, beautiful, unique and well polished.
