The Word Became Flesh

 “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14a

We are still in the Christmas season, and the liturgy of the word for the Christmas masses are so very rich. What man would ever think of, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be” (John 1:1-3)? That just has to be a revelation from the Holy Spirit!!! It seems to me that God, the Creator of the Universe, the kickstarter of life, wanted to reveal Himself to His creation by sending prophets to speak to us, which is exactly what St. Paul is telling the Hebrews. “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets.” (Hebrews 1:1)

But these were all imperfect, incomplete messages. 

Then God sent His Son, “the true light shining in the darkness”, the “Word became flesh”. And Saint Paul continued, “In these last days, He has spoken to us through the Son, whom He made heir of all things and through whom He created the universe.” (Hebrews 1:2)

We can be confident that Jesus lived, and lived an extraordinary life, and died an extraordinary death. The historical evidence for Jesus is both long-established and widespread compared to other historical figures. To me, if we believe Jesus lived and said what He said, and He did claim He was God, it behooves us, it is incumbent on us, it is absolutely life and death for us, to find out why, and discover for ourselves what is that master plan of God?! 

We don’t want to be left out of the biggest happening on earth, do we? We don’t want to FOMO! Not me! I want to be in on it! This is huge! It will impact eternity! Our time on earth is an infinitesimal pause in God’s scheme of things. Yet we are given a chance to live forever with Him. Jesus said, “EVERYONE who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do we believe this?” (John 11:25)

And that is just one reason to celebrate this Christmas season!

Waiting

 

“Anna, the prophetess, never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:37-38

There was always a lot of activity in the Temple in Jerusalem, a lot of coming and going all around. On the day Mary and Joseph brought the 40 day old baby Jesus to present Him to the Lord, only an old man and an old woman witnessed it. Simeon was righteous and devout, and had been waiting to see the Christ. Then there is the 84 year old prophetess Anna, who never left the Temple, but worshiped there night and day. Out of all the people who visited the Temple that day, only these two were blessed. 

“My eyes have seen Your salvation!” Simeon cried out in joy. Anna gave thanks to God and thereafter spoke about the child to all who would listen. What was special about Simeon and Anna? They were waiting. They had eager hearts and minds, thirsting for God. They listened to the Spirit. 

Perhaps there were many in the Temple that day who were praying and seeking God just as there are many people who pray each day, and some even go to church every day. But if our prayers are always about asking God for this and that, we seldom have time to listen. The Holy Spirit will not have opportunity and space to speak to us. Our hearts will not have “fertile ground” to receive what God has to tell us. 

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Jesus does not barge in, demanding we listen to Him. We have to invite Him in. If we open the door, we will marvel like Simeon and Anna, at what God will do in our lives.

Blessing Upon Blessing

 “My eyes have seen Your saving deed.” Luke 2:30

Simeon, in the 2nd chapter of Luke, awaited the promised Messiah and found Him in the temple one day when Jesus and Mary brought the child Jesus to present Him to the Lord. “You have fulfilled Your Word!” Simeon exulted, “You may let Your servant go in peace!” 

Can we say to God today, a few days before the closing of the year, “You have fulfilled Your promises to me. You may let me go in peace”? In the first place, do we know what God’s promises are? We can take Abraham as our example as he has been called our father in the faith. “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3).

Do we know why God chose Abraham out of all the people in the world at that time? There are so many names listed in Genesis 11. What if God spoke to some others but they did not believe and obey? After all, it would have been a big sacrifice for anyone to leave their hometown.  Archaeological excavations in 1922 showed that in Ur, the house of a middle-class family would have 10-20 rooms, with the entire lower floor reserved for the servants. When God said, “Go away from your own country to a place I will show you,” Abraham obeyed. He is the ideal of everyone who overcomes the fear of the unknown, who wishes to go forward putting his trust in God. But Abraham did not leave empty handed. God promised him blessing upon blessing. 

As we leave 2025, we can say we are entering a whole new world. We have no idea what this new year will hold for us. But as always, we can depend on God and His many promises to us. Like Simeon and Abraham, God journeys with us. Let us hold Him to His promises. If we believe and obey Him, there is blessing upon blessing in store for us!

Listen and Obey

 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!” Psalm 128:1

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family and the reading today is about how St. Joseph took care of his little family by heeding the instructions of an angel in his dreams. 

Because of St. Joseph’s obedience, I thought of this fascinating sharing by Jamie Winship who was a police officer. He had just watched a guy assault another police officer so he arrested him, got hand cuffs on him, and took him in his squad car to process him. The guy was pleading, “It’s Christmas Eve. My wife’s in law school. We’re broke. I’ve never committed a crime before…” and on and on. Jamie thinks, “ Yeah right!” BUT he heard a distinct voice say, "Stop the car and de arrest this guy and let him go." 

Jamie knew the voice of God but he also was aware he could lose his job and never get another job in the police department again. But he also appreciated that obedience is better than sacrifice! So while Jamie is arguing with the voice in his head out loud, the guy in handcuffs is listening, and confused. The Lord asked, “Is your career more important than the guy in the back seat? Are you more valuable than him because he broke the law and you didn’t, because you’re white and you grew up in this neighborhood?” Jamie finally got out of the car, opened the door and pulled the guy out even if he didn’t want to get out. Jamie had to knock him to the ground to get his handcuffs off because the guy was hugging him, scared Jamie was going to shoot him if he ran away. 

Finally Jamie had to tell his captain what he did and of course his captain was super mad. Jamie had been under this man for five years and the captain finally said, “I've seen you do crazy stuff before and it's usually worked. Not always, but usually. You have," he warned because it was Christmas Eve, “You have two weeks for this to become a really good idea or you're not only fired, we're probably going to arrest you for what you did, but l'll give you two weeks. It's like a Christmas break. Come back after Christmas." 

Jamie got reassigned to work nights at the front desk. One night he got a call. It was the guy that Jamie dearrested. And he said, “Is this officer Win? I'm the guy you dearrested….I know you did what you did because you think God told you. I appreciate it and want to pay you back.” And the man said that in two nights at midnight, there's going to be a black Porsche coming through this particular intersection and Jamie should pull him over, and make him open his trunk. So Jamie got one of his partners to do it since he was suspended and sure enough, when they did the stake out, they were able to make a huge narcotics bust! 

The “informant” called again, and Jamie says they’re even but the guy says, “No, we’re not even.” He explains, “Because this isn't about me and you being even. This is about God and me. I want to repair the community that l've been a part of damaging." 

Jamie and this guy worked together for one year, and they did the craziest stuff together. Jamie never told anyone who he was even if the FBI wanted to know. They broke a gambling ring, made arrests from Boston to Miami, but after a year after they caught Colombian criminals with uzis, Jamie said they’re even and have to stop because the guy would be killed after all the criminals they caught. 

So many times Jamie was asked how it happened, and Jamie got many opportunities to testify about the power of prayer, of listening and obeying. Hearing and obeying God is like a muscle and building our spiritual muscles requires consistent discipline and routine and actively seeking God’s will. May we greet the new year, 2026, with an ardent desire to listen attentively, hear God’s voice and obey. Let God, the giver of every good gift, surprise us!

Actually Seen and Heard

 “We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard...” 1 John 1:3

I enjoyed  it when my 93 year old dad was in a story telling mood. He usually expounded about the war. One of his stories was about their family getting kicked out of their nice mission house in San Marcelino by the Japanese in May 1943. It was a blessing because if they didn’t leave, they would all have been killed. The Japanese soldiers shelled the whole area, raped young girls, and the older women would offer themselves in place of the young ones. The first American plane daddy saw was on September 20 of the same year. He had been walking along Rizal Avenue, and it was a Corsair, and it was flying very low. 

St. John, whose Feast Day we celebrate today, is one of the Twelve Apostles Jesus chose to accompany Him. John outlived all the other Apostles, and was the only one who did not die a martyr’s death. In his letters, John emphasized that he wrote about what he had actually seen and heard. He walked with Jesus, talked to Him, listened to His teachings and His stories, witnessed His miracles. Like my dad, John spoke from first hand experience. Just as my dad was so eager to recount his experiences, so too John wanted others to know what happened while Jesus walked the earth. He was fully persuaded that Jesus was God in human form. All the Apostles were, so much so they were willing to die for that truth. 

For me, my dad’s memories are precious. How much more precious and valuable are the writings of St. John, St. James, and St. Peter, who were witnesses of Jesus’ life on earth? 

Lord, may we learn what we can from Your chosen friends. Help us to find life, light and truth in their words! 

Guilty!

 “Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power...” Acts 6:8

Yesterday we celebrated the Immanuel, God with us, the baby born in a manger to a virgin, among animals, because there was no room for Him anywhere. Today in the Catholic Church's readings, the beautiful Christmas story is followed by St. Luke's account of Saint Stephen who was savagely dragged and stoned to death. It is his feast day today and he is venerated not only in the Roman Catholic but also the Anglican,  Lutheran, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Why the contrast? Why veer the focus from the sweet Christ Child’s birth to the brutal stoning of the church’ first martyr? Perhaps because most of the world embraces the palatable, pleasant, engaging Christmas story of a mother and child. After all who doesn't love a story with myriads of angels singing, a sign in the night sky, shepherds, cute sheep, and magnificent kings bearing wondrous gifts? Everyone has adopted the holiday, giving gifts, wishing everyone goodwill, baking cookies, drinking, and eating. It is so sad however that usually the Christ Child is forgotten and forlorn amidst the tinsel! 

How much more has the world forgotten that part and parcel of the beautiful Christmas story is the horrifying crucifixion? That the same baby born to an innocent virgin would be, after 33 years, beaten and bruised, his face unrecognizably swollen and bloodied,  his back lacerated by whips with bone fragments? Jesus told his disciples that they too would be brought to trial, and flogged. They too would be called to witness on His account (Matthew 10). We may never be flogged, beaten, or stoned to death, but we should at least witness on His account! If we are brought to trial for being a Christian, will our words and actions find us guilty just as Saint Stephen was found guilty? 

Start Today!

 

“Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” 2 Samuel 7:3

Many archaeologists have tried to find the remains of King David’s palace. Excavations in Jerusalem have yielded ruins of fortified cities, stepped stone structures, elegant pottery and ivory which was not usually found in a regular house, dating from the time of King David. David lived in a magnificent palace, while the Ark of the Covenant was put in a lowly tent. David wanted to build God a more fitting place to dwell in and he said, 

“I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood” (1 Chron 28:2-3). 

Just as the Ark of the Covenant was perfectly content to be housed in a simple tent, so did the King of the Universe choose a humble servant girl to carry Him into the world. Inside the Ark of the Covenant were the stone tablets of the Law, the manna from the wilderness, and the rod of Aaron, the proof of true priesthood. Inside Mary’s womb was the Word made flesh, the Bread of Life, and the actual and Eternal High Priest. The Holy Spirit overshadowed and indwelled the Ark just as the Spirit overshadowed and indwelled Mary. 

Is it not amazing that the God who created the universe chose Mary, a peasant young girl of no prestige? This shows that God does not think like man at all! In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

This tells me that no one, absolutely no one is too poor, too ignorant, too insignificant, to be a Christ-bearer. Each one of us can bring the good news to a world badly in need of good news! There is no better time to start than today! 

Faithful

 “The friendship, companionship, intimate fellowship, of the Lord, is with those who fear, revere and respect Him and His covenant..." Psalm 25:14

Saint Teresa of Avila, at one time, fell off her donkey and got hurt. She asked God why this happened as it could not have come at a worst time. He answered her that that was how He treated His friends. She then retorted that that was why He had so few!!! This was not the only time she complained as she was often the butt of gossip and hostility at the convent.

Indeed when we are friends with God, it does not guarantee a life free from suffering and hardship. A friend of mine who had undergone a heart operation a couple of years ago and almost died, now had to have a mastectomy a few days before Christmas because of a fast growing cancer. I know she is God's friend, and she can rightly ask God why!

One bible verse is particularly apt- "Faithful are the wounds of a friend..." Psalm 27:6. I can't help but relate this to grafting. Why does God allow us to get hurt? Perhaps it is the only way we can grow, and bloom and bear fruit. He is the vine and we are the branches. We are supposed to abide in Him, attach ourselves to Him, remain in Him, "No branch can bear fruit by itself." In grafting, the tissues of one plant are inserted into the tissues of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues are joined together. The "vine" contains the desired genes to be duplicated in the branch! But we can't get connected without the wounds on both the vine and the branch!

When God allows pain and suffering to enter our life, we are invited to join with Him. He sees we are strong enough to enter into a closer, covenantal relationship with Him. And He asks us during these times, "Do you still love Me? Do you still trust Me?"

Created to Be God’s Dwelling Place

 

“My soul glorifies the Lord...” Luke 1:46

In the 4th century Latin Vulgate translation, the opening word in this passage is Magnificat, which means “glorifies”. Jesus is still in Mary’s womb, yet already Mary is rejoicing. You can feel her excitement, her anticipation, her eagerness to receive all the good things God has in store for her. 

Like Mary, we too can carry Jesus in our hearts, our minds, in the very depths of our being. We can birth Him in our lives, if we but plant the seeds of His Word daily, by reading and pondering it. The Bible is a book of promises. It is filled with hope. There is nothing better the ancient enemy wants than for us to be deceived into thinking the Bible is irrelevant. 

We are all, whatever our station in life, created to be God’s dwelling place, an “inn” if you will, for the lowly babe who came to set us free. If we just get a glimpse of what an awesome God we serve, and His amazing plan for each one of us, we will leap and shout, and proclaim like Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior!” 

Who?

 “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in His holy place?” Psalm 24:3

Yes who? It seems as if the whole world is  filled with people who do not know right from wrong! The answer follows: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” I’m sure that discounts me! It discounts Saint Peter as well, who claimed in Luke 5:1-11, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter realized his sinfulness and his need for Jesus. 

When we realize our sinfulness, see that our wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes and become aware of our pressing need for Him, we can depend on God to redeem us just as He did Peter. He gave Peter many chances. He did not forsake Peter even when Peter abandoned Him in cowardice. We too can take courage that God will use us even in our frailty, make our hearts new, and cleanse our dirty hands. Let us always take the time to connect with the only One who can do the impossible and bring us into His holy place. 

What’s in My Cup?

“Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” Psalm 24:3-4

I think all of us want a clean heart, all of us want to be that good person who is looked up to. We want to be wise, kind, generous and forgiving. I don’t think anyone sets out to be the bitter person who holds grudges, and spits out acid and tells lies, and thinks nothing of stealing and cheating other people. It’s just that people have a tendency to protect themselves, put on armor, and when they make a mistake, they prefer to stay on that path, rather than say, “I made a mistake, I am sorry, please forgive me.” 

I read this analogy somewhere. If you are cradling a cup of coffee and someone bumps you, you will spill the coffee on your clothes, the floor, everywhere. Ask yourself, why did you spill the coffee? 

The usual answer you would give is that someone bumped into you. But that’s a wrong answer in this analogy. The correct answer is you spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. If you had a Caramel Frappuccino, you would have the Caramel Frap all over your shirt. “Whatever is inside the cup, will spill out.” 

Life is like that. We always get shaken up one way or another. We can’t escape it. And whatever is inside us, will come out. We can have a sort of shell, or image, but once we are jostled by circumstance, the truth will invariably come out. 

So let us ask ourselves, “What’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what is going to spill out? Can we ascend the mountain of the Lord because we try to live our life with courage, humility, peace, gratefulness, and love? 

Or do we desire what is vain, what is of the world, do we see life with bitterness and envy? 

It is not too late to ask the Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit and ask for a renewal, a restoration and revitalization. God is only too willing to open His arms wide in welcome! 

Legacy of Faith

 "O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim Your wondrous deeds." Psalm 71:17

Thank you Lord for the legacy of faith my mother left me. More than anything she bequeathed, our business or any material thing, the most precious was how important God was to her.

Even when she was very weak, she would still insist on going to daily mass at 6 am, and afterwards we would go to the Adoration chapel. I remember having to hold her for fear she would fall. I was the one who had to give up saying, "Mommy, I don't think we should  go to mass anymore.  We BOTH might fall down!"

Her iPad was filled with praise songs and bible verses she would listen to almost the whole day.

Yes, my siblings and I were very blessed to have a mom who taught us about God and His love for us, from when we were young. She didn't teach us to say memorized prayers but taught us to just talk to God. And I would talk to God about anything, even a lost ball pen (that I would find) and other little things that showed me that God was real and was watching over me. She taught me that God was love and that love surrounded me.

So I tried to do the same for my son. A home should be a little bit of heaven here on earth. The principles of God's Word should dominate the way a family lives. Children observe parents all the time and listen to us, and observe the way we relate to others. Being an example is the most effective way to teach! We may not have been successful all the time, but we will never be disappointed when we place our trust in Him who loves us most!

Have No Fear!

"Joseph, son of David, have no fear..." Matthew 1:20

I find it quite amazing that in the Bible, a book filled with the exploits of men, there is hardly anything said about Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. Only two of the Gospels mention him, Matthew and Luke. 

Ever since Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines, the statue of the sleeping Saint Joseph has been quite popular. Pope Francis revealed that he had one, and that when he had difficulties, he would write them on a piece of paper, place the paper underneath the figurine, and ask Saint Joseph to pray with him about it.

In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Saint Joseph gets clear directions from God while he is asleep TWICE! In Matthew 1:20, Joseph is told by an angel in a dream, not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, as the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In chapter 2, verse 13, he is directed by an angel, while dreaming, to flee to Egypt for their safety.

God speaks to us in different ways, but we need discernment to know what comes from Him, and what comes from our own desires. Geza Vermes, a British scholar and noted authority on ancient Aramaic writings on the life of Jesus, stated that the term for "carpenter" and "son of a carpenter", used in the Jewish Talmud, signifies a very learned man. Learned man or not, what we know is Joseph was kind and compassionate, a man of faith who obeyed God wherever He led. How beautiful to be a man or woman, obeying God whether awake or asleep!!!

Rejoice!

 "It was of Mary that Jesus who is called the Messiah was born." Matthew 1:16

Going through the first part of Matthew can be tedious, and I tend to skip all the begats and son ofs. I am sure I can go through all of them and find some nugget of wisdom. That's what the Bible is, after all- a treasure chest of gems, precious jewels and pearls. 

I skip all that and reach Matthew 1:16, and find that instead of the son of the father, we see that Jesus is the son of the WIFE of Joseph. That is unusual in a genealogy. Women were not usually mentioned in Jewish genealogies. Nowhere in the Bible is the name of King David's poor mother mentioned! But all that changes with Jesus! 

Matthew lists Jesus' genealogy all the way from Abraham, showing His roots and His family. But He becomes part of that family through the Holy Spirit because Mary conceived by the power of the Spirit. Do we realize that we are part of that same family by the power of the same Spirit? 

From Anawim, I read, "We cannot choose our ancestors. As much as we might prefer to descend from a line of great and powerful kings, there is nothing we can do about it. But now, because of Jesus Christ, we can choose to be part of a greater and more powerful family that far surpasses our natural background. By faith, we are children of Abraham, we are children of David- we are children of God!" Now that is something to rejoice about! 

He is Not Finished with Us Yet

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” Psalm 34:19

Nikki Cruz was one of the street-tough gang members from a ghetto in New York evangelized by Pastor David Wilkerson. Their story is told in the amazing book and movie, “The Cross and the Switchblade” starring Pat Boone. Nikki was saved from a life of drugs, violence, witchcraft, physical and emotional abuse, and a dangerous life as warlord and leader of the dreaded street gang, the Mau Maus. 

Now he goes around preaching God’s wonderful news of love and salvation around the world. In his book, “One Holy Fire”, and many other best selling books, he shares about how God can change our lives in amazing ways. One day he was so down and depressed because he witnessed a terrible accident in Jerez Zacatecas, Mexico. He and two of his ministry coworkers tried to help but all their efforts failed. The people in the crushed remains of the jeep had just come from their very successful evangelistic meeting at a nearby stadium and tattered Bibles and crusade leaflets were littered on the street along with broken bodies. 

“Why, God, why?” Nicky cried out weeping, helpless and frustrated. After the exhilaration of a successful crusade at a 3000-seat stadium filled to capacity, Nicky was brought to despair. He continued to wrestle with God until morning, thinking it was time to quit. At 6 am, he went out for a run. He ran and ran until he got lost. A pickup stopped, and the man inside said, “Nicky Cruz! You’re lost! Get in!” 

Nicky got in, a little wary, but the man continued to talk to him. “Don’t be afraid. What happened last night was not your fault. Things happen that we don’t always understand, but we have to trust that God is in control, in spite of how it may seem. God knows you’re hurting and confused. He knows you’re tired and ready to quit. But I’m here to tell you He isn’t finished with you yet.” The stranger said much more and even prayed for Nicky. Before he knew it, he was at the entrance of his hotel. When Nicky looked back, the truck was gone. 

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by what life throws at us. We should always be confident that God is looking out for us. Whatever it is we are facing, know that He just isn’t finished with us yet! 

He Teaches the Humble His Way

 

"He guides the humble to justice, He teaches the humble his way." Psalm 25:9

I think most people are a complicated mixture of humility and pride. Sometimes we have this humility that makes us not step up because we think we can't do something, we are not capable, we don't have what it takes. We prefer to watch as other people "take the limelight". But I think being humble means that we know the truth about ourselves. C. S. Lewis in his remarkable book, "Mere Christianity", wrote, "True humility is not thinking less of yourself: it is thinking of yourself less."

I enjoy listening to the preacher, Francis Chan, because he tells funny stories about himself. He told of one of the first times he did a conference and John MacArthur, the famous author-preacher etc. was in the audience. While he was speaking, Francis kept looking at John MacArthur. When they were driving home, Francis Chan's wife asked him, "What was that all about? You weren't yourself!" And Francis Chan said, "John MacArthur was in the audience!" "Let me get this straight," his wife said," You were preaching about the presence of God, and you were worried about the presence of John MacArthur????" 

How many times do we refuse to use our gifts, the gifts God has given us, because we are afraid of what OTHER PEOPLE will think? Humility is knowing that we are nothing without Christ. We can do nothing without God's presence and power. "Few of us are big enough to become little enough to be used of God," Vance Havner wrote. Lord, help me to become little enough so You can teach me Your ways, and You can accomplish what You want to accomplish through me!

God’s Ultimate Goal

“Do not grumble or complain about each other...” James 5:9

I like to train my mind to see the good in people and situations. I do not always succeed, but if I practice all the time, I know I will improve. I got very good advice from one of my godparents in marriage. She said always see your husband through God’s eyes. Today when marriage and family are under constant attack, we need to see our spouses through God’s loving and faithful perspective. God did not give us our spouses so that they will provide everything to make us happy. No man or woman on earth can ever fulfill all our emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental needs. And we will never be able to do the same for any one either, no matter how much we love them. 

I like to think of people as God’s sandpaper. If anyone aggravates me, annoys me, infuriates me, they are just smoothening my rough edges. We all have our rough edges. We are diamonds inside coal. Only heat and pressure, and lots and lots of time and patience can turn carbon into coal, and coal into a diamond. 

God’s ultimate goal for us is we enter His eternal Kingdom and join Him in His love. We obviously can’t get near Him right now with all our sin and imperfections. He’s working on that right now! Every time we say ouch! We need to see all our trials and challenges as opportunities for God to transform us. The stumbling blocks are actually stepping stones to becoming more and more the person we have the potential to be. 

At the start, we are like the ugliest lump of gold in God’s eyes. Full of imperfections and impurities. Then He starts His work in us, like a refiner using heat again and again and again to force our impurities to the surface. Ouch! The refiner knows His work is done when He can see His face reflected in the gold! 

In Romans 8:29, Saint Paul writes that God chose us to be like His Son, that we would all be brothers and sisters. Let us thank God for His patience, and stop grumbling and complaining about our brothers and sisters. Let us view each and everyone, and every situation as our stairway to heaven.