Anyone who has lived their lives beyond their pre-teens will be aware of the fact that life is anything but constant smooth sailing.  Sooner or later we are confronted with the reality that there is no enjoyment of the rose without the prick of its thorns.  There is no refreshing of rain without the occasional wrath of the storm.  The world we live in is fundamentally broken, and the good that we are fortunate to enjoy will not last forever…at least not in this life.  In this world, our hearts are not guaranteed shelter from pain.

This raises an inescapable question: What are we to make of the trials and struggles that will inevitably bombard our lives at one point or another?  The loss of a job.  The death of a loved one.  The infidelity of a spouse.  The deterioration of our health.  These and numerous other stings inject their potent venom into our hearts to the degree that it sometimes seems practically impossible to ever fully recover.  These situations force us to consider what really matters in life.  It leaves us with the awareness, or at least the faint suspicion, that our aspirations and endeavors ought to be rooted in noble endeavors that will stand the test of fire and time.  Gandhi believed that we need to be the change we desire to see in the world.  Michael Jackson sang of transforming the man in the mirror.

Who has ever spent their final moments on their death-bed wishing that they had spent more time at the office?  Who, as their lives were ebbing away, were ever consoled by the size of the personal fortune they had amassed, the sexual conquests they had notched up, or the size of their fan base?  No.  We were created for honorable pursuits.  We were created to love and be loved.  We were created to create and inspire.  In order to value these goals with maturity and a healthy balance, it becomes apparent that one thing is critical…character.  What is needed is the kind of character that points to virtues like humility, patience, self-control and generosity…to name a few.  It is the kind of character that is not easily acquired.  It comes at a price.  It is the result of a heart tested in the furnace of adversity and learning the worth of making right choices even when it hurts…especially when it hurts.

This kind of journey sets the soul on a course that produces what nothing on this earth can take away…self-respect.  It is the inner confidence and serenity that comes from knowing that we are at peace with our God and our brothers and sisters who inhabit this planet with us.  As with gold purified in the fire, and coal crushed into diamonds, our hearts are refined and made beautiful in the grip of life’s struggles.  It is a gift that, when healthily understood and embraced, allows us to walk boldly in the face of life or death.

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