becoming beautiful

last night i witnessed something really beautiful. we were doing a concert on campus, and some of the girls from Andrew & Grace Home were there to perform as well.

what moved me the most was knowing that each of these girls have probably gone through more difficulties in life than i have experienced, both in their personal life and family life, and yet there they were, standing strong, taking steps to get back on the road to true life, overcoming addictions, discovering their value and worth, overcoming adversity.

somehow it brought to mind the analogy of a jewel, so i couldn't wait to blog it this morning!



some cool facts to know:

1. diamonds are formed when carbon bearing materials undergo lots of pressure, eg. in volcanic regions. it's really not easy to make a diamond. (although nowadays there are machines that can emulate the high pressure that would otherwise take hundreds of years to take effect.) but look at coal, how black and ugly and shapeless it is, and think of how much work, time and effort was needed to make that diamond solitaire around your neck or on your ring! likewise, i believe the girls, and in fact all of us, have gone through difficulties in life, big or small, that will 'pressure' us to become beautiful jewels in time.

2. diamond is the hardest known natural substance. In fact, a diamond can only be scratched by other diamonds. to me that reminds me that we can only shape and be an encouragement to each other as much as we ourselves have already been shaped and encouraged.

3. the best diamonds are colourless. The more 'coloured' the diamond is, the more impurities are present in the stone. the more colourless the diamond, the more dense it is - implying the higher the pressure it has endured. so it's really not easy to become a beautiful, pure gem.

4. diamonds are of great value. IE expensive. (i'm sure the guys would agree. heh heh) in contrast to coal, which most of us have bought at one time or another for a weekend bbq, and cost a minute fraction of the price. kind of ironic, considering it's just a few hundred years and lots of pressure that's creating this price difference! all this to say, i'm reminded that what may seem worthless or cheap in its original state actually has GREAT POTENTIAL to become that beautiful, shining and valuable jewel, like many of these young girls have become.



i'd like to think that i am a 'diamond in process'. I might not be colourless and perfectly shaped and shining just yet, but I know I am getting there, slowly but surely, and one day I will realize the true value of who I am, and who I have had the potential to be since the very beginning. and yet I know that even though I am not 'there' yet, I already have intrinsic value, just because of that God-given potential in me. =)

sparkling on...