The Diamonds

What if all you felt like was a lump of coal? What if life has the qualities of that coal, dark, black and leaves smudge marks all over your soul? What if tears were all that came in the face of what seems like endless pain and pressure? What if I could tell you that even coal, when pressed under great pressure becomes something exquisite?

I have a friend, a dear, sweet friend. Actually make that several dear, sweet friends who I dedicate this post to. One of them prays daily for a simple gift, yet God has not bestowed her heart with it. I have cried silently with her though I am apart from her. I would honor her today because in the middle of this pain, this mourning she has for something she longs dearly for, I see a raw and rare beauty springing forth. Though there may be questions, I see her faith increasing; I see her love blossoming; and I see her heart becoming a welcome place for others who are in pain. She too like the coal is become a precious gem, one day to be fully polished, radiant.

Another friend, a twin at heart really, has seen much pain and struggle. Moments of insecurity brought tears and bouts of running away, yet I am still in awe of the strong woman in Christ that I see today. She has weathered hurricanes of inner turmoil, relationships, and questions; but the woman I see today has a heart that runs toward her Savior. This heart, this healing priceless heart, is being transformed into something only Jesus could have created.

My final honoree today was my initial inspiration. This woman is a colossal pillar in my life. I have seen her at her weakest, when in reality her strength had her firmly rooted in Christ. I have walked with her in moments of the battle and seen her war with the fierceness of a lioness. I cry with her today over the things that are on her heart, things she did not know He had in store for her. They are good things, but as humans the reality can, at times, seem daunting. Even in the middle of this latest battle, I know she is clinging tight to hands that will never let her fall; for she is following the One who will not lead her where He does not go. Grace is abounding.

All these women and so many more are under great pressure, with life at times seeming dark, endless night. Yet, underneath all this pressure, something beautiful is happening. God is creating gems that will not be cut, will not be broken.

God is creating diamonds.