Beauty for Ashes

i just read this recently, and i liked it so much because it's so full of truth, that i feel like sharing it with whoever gets to read this :).

Beauty for Ashes

"In order to bring forth the sweetness, there has to be some suffering. To bring about the beauty of the flame there must be ashes. Something must go to ashes.
Blessings come from suffering—beauty for ashes. Like a giant hand taking the honeycomb and squeezing it, and out comes the honey. Like Moses smiting the rock—it hurt the rock, but out came the water. Like a beautiful flower pressed and crushed, but out comes the perfume.
Like the beautiful music that comes from the throat of the bird—almost as though in pain, yet it comes forth with song. Even though the bird's song is sad, it's so sweet. The groans are not murmurs, but songs of praise and thanksgiving to God—a sad, sweet song.
Lord, help us not to fight thy crushing, Thy bruising, Thy smiting, which causes the water to gush forth. Help us not to quench that beautiful song, even if it's sad—to thank Thee in spite of the sorrow. Help us to be willing to be smitten and crushed, to be squeezed and to be bruised, to be in agony, that we may give forth Thy sweetness, Thy fragrance, Thy beauty, Thy song, Thy refreshing waters. Out of what seems like defeat come some of Thy greatest victories.
You could never appreciate the light unless you've been in darkness. You can't appreciate health unless you've been sick. You'll never appreciate joy until you've known sorrow. You can't appreciate God's mercy until you've known the Devil's justice.
"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (1Cor.1:4)."

David Brandt Berg