Silver Lining

I got this email from my dear friend, Claudia, it's rather inspiring and intriguing! Enjoy!

Very cool way to look at life's trials & tribulations:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."This verse puzzled some women in a Bible studyand they wondered what this statement meantabout the character and nature of God. One ofthe women offered to find out the process ofrefining silver and get back to the group at theirnext Bible study.That week, the woman called a silversmith andmade an appointment to watch him at work.She didn't mention anything about the reason forher interest beyond her curiosity about theprocess of refining silver.As she watched the silversmith, he held a pieceof silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explainedthat in refining silver, one needed to hold thesilver in the middle of the fire where the flameswere hottest as to burn away all the impurities.The woman thought about God holding us in such ahot spot: then she thought again about the versethat says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."She asked the silversmith if it was true that hehad to sit there in front of the fire the wholetime the silver was being refined. The mananswered that yes, he not only had to sit thereholding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes onthe silver the entire time it was in the fire.If the silver was left a moment too long, in theflames, it would be destroyed.The woman was silent for a moment. Then sheasked the silversmith, "How do you know whenthe silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her andanswered, "Oh, that is easy - when I see my imagein it."If today you are feeling the heat of the fire,remember that God has His eye on you andwill keep watching you until He sees His imagein you.Pass this on right now -- this very moment,someone needs to know that God is watchingover them. And, whatever they're going through,they'll be a better person in the end.

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)