Joy Sometimes Needs Pain

Joy Sometimes Needs Pain To Give It Birth

One of the things that sold us on the house we are living in is the floors.

We walked inside the house, and the floors set the place apart.

In a world consumed by inexpensive, fake wood vinyl floors, the real deal cannot be mimicked.

The wood for the floors came from an old stable in North Dakota.

It’s barnwood with cracks and swirls, knots and imperfections that give it character.

The homeowner told us he sanded them to perfection, but didn’t take out the knots or deep cuts and abrasions given to the wood from exposure.

He was going to stain them, but decided against it.

What happened was the one-hundred-year-old wood soaked in the natural sealer, turning the floors a rich, beautiful honey color.

“It is the tree that suffers that is capable of polish. When the woodsman wants some curved lines of beauty in the grain, he cuts down some maple that has been gashed by the axe and twisted by the storms. In this way, he secures the knots and the hardness that takes the gloss.” (Streams in the Desert)

Life’s difficulty builds character.

The harsher the conditions, the more twisted our surroundings, the more beauty we have to show the world.

Our lives are exposed to difficulty, not just to make us stronger, but to reveal an inner beauty that can’t be faked.

People go to great lengths to puff up their lips, tuck their tummy, and dewrinkle their skin.

We take what God gave us and try to perfect it.

There’s nothing wrong with taking care of ourselves, but when we start allowing youth to consume us, we may be heading into murky waters.

What if the real beauty is not how smooth our skin looks, but the wrinkles and scars produced by living a great life that tell our true story?

As with less expensive vinyl floors, imperfections can be faked in appearance, but the warmth of real difficulty exposes the imposter and lacks warmth and authenticity.

We live in a world that wants the look but doesn’t want to go through the hardship to create authenticity.

Every good story has downs.

We wouldn’t go to a movie to watch the story of someone’s made-up up perfect life.

Real-life drama creates interest and leaves us wanting more.

I don’t like it when things don’t work out.

I want smooth sailing and try too hard to avoid rough waters.

But God doesn’t want a cheap imitation.

He’s looking ahead at the finished product, not some quick makeover that leaves us unfulfilled.

I really like the title of this short story.

I think it says it all.

Joy sometimes needs pain to give it birth.

Have a great week.