STOP AND THINK – Pearls are the product of pain—precious, tiny jewels conceived through irritation, born of adversity, nursed by adjustment. (Charles Swindoll, American pastor and author)
Here’s another lesson to be learned from nature. When we look at pearls, we probably don’t think of how they were created. Instead, we might note the setting in the ring or the brooch, or the order of the string of pearls on the chain. We give no thought to how the pearls were created. The analogy to life is clear: Life’s successes are often gained through adversity.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)