Something that has always fascinated me is the art of glass-blowing. It dates all the way back to somewhere in the 1st century B.C. and has evolved into a multifaceted art form over the last two millennia. Basically, it’s the process of inflating molten glass into a bubble using a long piece of equipment called a blow pipe. There are various ways to shape and alter the glass to create endless designs. The key to this art form is the use of intense heat. Without the glass reaching molten temperatures, it wouldn’t transform into a pliable form, and thus could not be manipulated in such a way as to bring out the hidden beauty for all the world to see.

Similarly, diamonds can formed in certain areas of the earth’s mantle, about ninety miles beneath the surface, and their formation requires intense heat and pressure (at least 2000 degrees Fahrenheit), and are brought to the surface through rare, deep-source volcanic eruptions. In both scenarios, intense heat is required in the transformation of the substance at hand, and once the process is complete, something incredibly beautiful is the result.

In many ways, I can see how this same process works in the life of a human being. We are subjected to all kinds of pressure and intense heat. Our lives are pushed and prodded this way and that, often in ways well beyond our control. We become frustrated, often feeling the pain and burning of that heat deep in our souls. It is very difficult to remain calm and at peace when you feel as though your life is in flames all around you. But that is what our relationship with God is all about.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.” Isaiah 43:2 AMP

Our lives are rarely going to be easy or go the way we planned. We are going to struggle and we are going to experience pain. But, we have the choice as to whether we accept the protection and comfort of the Lord, or if we refuse it and choose to take our chances alone. Believe me when I say, you WILL feel a difference. God is always with us and is constantly ready and willing to help alleviate our pain, but He can’t unless we trust Him and have faith in His love and power to heal.

Imagine you have two people standing in front of you, each with the exact same superficial burn on the back of their hands. As you stand before them with a tube of pain relieving cream in your hand, one of them gratefully allows you to slather the cream over their burn, while the other refuses the offer because they don’t believe it will work. You, however, have used the cream yourself, so you KNOW how well it works. Still, the second person refuses your help. Now, you have the same two people standing before you, both with the same burns on their hands, but with one difference: the first person is no longer suffering from the injury. It is still there and still needs to heal, but the suffering has been significantly diminished.

Over the last several months, I have been walking through my own person fire. What I have come to realize is the truth of something I read in a recent devotional by Joyce Meyer. She states, “The Bible teaches that faith works through love. Galatians 5:6 says that what really counts is ‘faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.’ Love is not talk or theory; it’s action.” (Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life, Day 157). God has guided me and protected me and carried me through the most difficult days of my life by surrounding me with love. He gave me an exceptionally kind, loving husband. He’s brought me an amazing, very loving church family. He’s filled my heart with love for the new family I’ve become a part of by the grace of my marriage. And once again, as I am blessed with a wonderful new opportunity at exactly the right time, I am able to look back and see how my Heavenly Father has carried me through the fire yet again!

“Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.” Philippians 3:12 AMP