Image: Flickr/Kellar Wilson

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” (Chinese Proverb)

Life is filled with joy. It is filled with love. It is filled with adventure. It is also filled with pain, with tribulation, and with trials. You simply can’t have one without the other, and — believe it or not — you wouldn’t want it any other way.

The problems we have with our children, with our spouses, with our co-workers — they’re all there for a reason. Not only did we help create them, but we’re supposed to learn something from them. We’re supposed to let our parenting, our marriages, our jobs grow us up as well.

The next time your infant keeps you up all night remember this. When your teenager comes home after curfew, give a little smile. As you face the fires of intimacy with your spouse, the social awkwardness of a new school, or the seemingly unreasonable demands of your boss, consider it all part and parcel of this thing we call life. And know in your heart of hearts that the more you allow these difficulties to do what they’re supposed to do, the stronger and more polished you will become.