As A Refiner

Gold, from the moment it’s taken from the earth, has considerable value. In its impure state, it is solid and stable and hard. You might say it’s stubborn and inflexible. Hard-nosed. Adamant. And we’re comfortable with that, because we have an innate love for stability and solidity.

In its pure form, gold is still solid, only now it’s soft, as well. And we love this, because now, not only is the gold stable, it’s also flexible, compassionate, and gentle. Oh, yes, gold is valuable when it comes from the earth, but its value is much greater when it comes from the fire.

Ah. The fire. Between value and great, perhaps immeasurable, value lies the fire.

One of the interesting things about the fire is that the gold isn’t put into the fire as punishment. It doesn’t go there because it’s “bad.” Yes, it is put in the fire because it is impure, but that is the nature of gold. It was born that way, you might say. The gold enters the fire because that is the only way for it to reach its full potential.

We like the solid, impure state. We love the stable, pure state. We hate the fire.

You see, in the fire, the gold becomes liquid. Unstable, unpredictable. Happy one day, and the next day emotions in a pit so deep you can’t see the sky. Weeping for joy is just as likely as weeping for self­pity. Angry over this offense, understanding over that one.

We hate that, and that is understandable, because although “liquid gold” might sound nice, it isn’t at all useful, and we all need to be useful. We’re not here to take up space, and suck up other people’s energy, we’re here to be productive, and to leave our mark on the world.

The gold is useless during this time, but more than merely useful to the gold, this time is essential. Why? Because something happens here that cannot happen anywhere else. When the gold becomes liquid, it releases all the junk it is connected to. Junk that was buried so deep, no one could have known it was there. No one except one experienced in handling gold could have predicted that there would be so much ugliness holed up inside.

And I’m sorry, but the gold is not allowed to bypass the fire.

Here in the fire, the gold is increasing in value. It is preparing for being not merely useful, but sought after and precious. The gold is losing all the stuff it doesn’t need, anyway. And it will stay in the fire, I’m told, until the refiner can see his reflection in it.

There are some days when I can easily see all the things for which I can be thankful.

But on those other days, I can be thankful for this: God is watching over me the way a refiner watches over his pot of gold.

And that is a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

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