Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Hardest Things

"The greatest things are always hedged about by the hardest things, and we, too, shall find mountains and forests and chariots of iron. Hardship is the price of coronation. Triumphal arches are not woven out of rose blossoms and silken cords, but of hard blows and bloody scars. The very hardships that you are enduring in your life today are given by the Master for the explicit purpose of enabling you to win your crown. Do not wait for some ideal situation, some romantic difficulty, some far-away emergency; but rise to meet the actual conditions which the Providence of God has placed around you today. Your crown of glory lies embedded in the very heart of these things--those hardships and trials that are pressing you this very hour, week and month of your life. The hardest things are not those that the world knows of. Down in your secret soul unseen and unknown by any but Jesus, there is a little trial that you would not dare to mention that is harder for you to bear than martyrdom. There, beloved, lies your crown. God help you to overcome, and sometime wear it."

4 comments:

Laurel said...

Mary, what's the source of this quote? I need to read it twenty times a day, I think. I'd like to credit the author when I print it out.

Mary said...

Sorry I didn't take time to look up the author before posting. I've Googled it now, and it appears that it was written by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, author of "Streams in the Desert."

Laurel said...

Ah-ha! I'm not at all surprised. Thanks :-)

Nisbett Family said...

This resonates with my soul. Thank you for posting it, and thank you for the reference. I used "Streams in the Desert" as my devotional about 18 years ago. I should pull it out again. You always bless me!! Thank you.