“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”. Romans 8:18

I love it when I see the transformation of something that has been shaped by natural exposure become a thing of beauty. It is even more precious when this picture opens a window to the working of God in my own life.

This weekend I heard the story of this stunningly beautiful wall. The wood has been salvaged from a grain storage facility. For hundreds of years, grain pounded against this wall as it was released from storage. The changes to the wall were subtle. No one was paying any attention to the effect of the tribulation suffered by the wood. Then, when the purpose for the wall had been met, the suffering ceased and the glory was revealed.

I don’t recognize the benefit of suffering in my life or in the lives of those who love. I would like it all to stop. But, is it possible that relentless tribulation is being used by the Artist to produce something of beauty?