"Your pain, sorrow, conflict or trouble – what ever it is – is a pearl in the making! God has allowed the irritant to enter your life and around it He is developing a story that will build you, strengthen you, and give you wisdom to encourage another."

A couple of you commented on this point I made in my last post and I heard from one of the ladies who heard me speak that this statement rings true in your life.

I do not like to struggle. Nor do I like trials or tribulations. I enjoy smooth sailing. I am a life-is-a-breeze kind of gal. Please don’t send me on detours or put speed bumps in my path. I don’t do well when God calls me to attention and announces that it is time for a trial. I do not like it!

Yet, each time I emerge, I am a stronger person. I feel more confident. I come away with a greater understanding and knowledge because inevitably there are lessons to learn - - - in the oyster bed.

I’m going to share some of my oyster bed stories – describe a bit of the affliction, trial, or irritant and then tell how I emerged from the painful circumstance.

Right now this is my table of contents:
GIANT EMOTIONS – How losing his legs led him to inspire the Giants through a winning season
THE SCOLDING – How a creative exercise sent my self esteem into the deep
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL – How a scheme to make friends put me outside the circle of friends
WE’RE MOVING – How long distance moves shatter a life yet shape a character
BACK TO SCHOOL – How a mid-life return to the classroom humbles and helps
WAIT MANAGEMENT – How God’s call to His Wait Room strengthens the most fragile

I’ll start with GIANT EMOTIONS because of its appropriate and timely theme. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. The Giants play the Patriots. I am not a football fan – so I really don’t care who plays who. What I do care about is the people and their stories.

I admire and respect our soldiers who leave their homes, sacrificing their lives so others in the world might one day live in free societies. I hate that so many soldiers have died and I suffer heaps – I mean it hurts me to see the soldiers who return home changed men and women – changed because they have come face to face with life altering circumstances. In other words – they have found themselves in the oyster bed – pearls in the making.

Last night on the ABC news I met a pearl - Lt. Col. Greg Gadson.
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/PersonOfWeek/story?id=4229330&page=1
While he was in his oyster bed he lost two legs and almost an arm when an IED (improvised explosive device) landed nearby tearing apart his body. He should not have lived. But he did and today he is credited with the success of the Giants’ football season. Having played football at Army with New York wide receivers coach Mike Sullivan he motivated the players with inspiring pre-game speeches, filled with encouragement to persevere. He could be seen on the sidelines in Green Bay two weeks ago cheering on the team and he will be seen once again tomorrow beside his team at Super Bowl XLII.

A pearl develops when an irritant lands inside the oyster. It is not something that happens overnight. The oyster sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor where a beautiful gem develops over time. In the dark recesses of the oyster the pearl grows until one day it emerges pure and white, a trophy to be shown off. Greg Gadson is a PEARL. Who better to spur these massive men - epitomes of human perfection - onto victory than one who, even though he has lost his legs, has not lost his heart.

I salute you – American hero, a trophy for our historical archives, a pearl.

I know each one of you has several experiences where you faced insurmountable trials and you emerged stronger – maybe victorious. Won’t you share your stories with us. I know that like Lt. Col. Greg Gadson will encourage his giant friends tomorrow your stories would be an encouragement to us also.

You can start your post in the comments section and then finish up on your own blog. See you there.