Monday Moment

When I first started this blog, I didn't want it to be a recipe blog alone. I do love to cook, but I love so many other things as well. I really want this to be a place were I can share my thoughts on all kinds of topics and interests. So I'm going to start "Monday Moments". Every Monday I'm going to share something that has nothing to do with cooking. It could be my thoughts on a book I'm reading,a favorite poem, something I learned that week, something I need to vent about, something I love, something I've discovered, something I think is funny etc... I'm sure you get the point.

My first Monday Moment is something that I read yesterday and that my husband and I were talking about. I had read this thought before, but it had been quite some time ago. I really love this parable and the message it convey's.

The Refiner's Fire

Some time ago, a few women met in a certain city to study the scriptures. While reading Malachi 3, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse:

"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Malachi 3:3).

One woman proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver. After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes, madam," replied the silversmith. "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The woman at once saw the beauty and comfort in the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." God sees it needful to put his children into a furnace. His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and his wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and he will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.

Before she left, the woman asked one final question. "When do you know the process is complete?"

"Why, that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

Author Unknown

I find it comforting to know that our Father in Heaven gives us both blessings and trials specific to our "refining" process. That only he knows what experiences will make us the best spiritual beings possible. For each of us it will be different. We can not look at our neighbors, our family, or our friends and say, "It's not fair. Why is this happening to me? Why don't I have what they have?" Because we will all be tested, we will all be tried in a way that only we can grow from; in a manner that will refine us individually.

I like to define the word blessing as anything that brings us closer to our Heavenly father, and the word trial as anything that distances us from our Heavenly Father.  With these definitions the experiences that we might typically call blessings might actually be trials, and the experiences that we might typically call trials might actually be blessings.

Just something to think about.