Roses from Bones

A lump of iron, when chosen for a greater purpose, is thrust into fire, beaten at the anvil, and quenched, over and over, until it takes on its intended form. 

This is likewise the lot of a good person. They are polished, perfected, strengthened, and shaped into something greater than their origin by trials. It is through pain that they become good. 

There is a time to rest and a time to train. There is a time to bow and a time to fight.

So, how can we discern which season of life we’re entering and which way to go when faced with a difficult choice?

Take the hard path, for the easy path is a slide into chaos.

The mind is a cup, and joy is fine wine. Joy fills our cup until finally, we’re blessed with more joy than we can hold. At this point, we can either release what we have in favor of what is still coming, or we can place our hands over the cup to prevent the overflow.

However, when we cover our cup, the joy that fills it slowly spoils. The only way to refresh our joy is to release it, making room for more. We must empty the cup and open ourselves up to new wine from the fountain of life.