The Oyster

It lay unobtrusive in the belly of the oyster

Under the cold blue waters

A single grain of sand

An irritant

The beginning of a blessing

Trouble twists and turns us

Along the path

But God uses hardships

For our benefit

The Lord transforms our peril into pearls

It is only through the irritant

That a pearl is formed

It is only through difficulty

That our character is carved

Into Christ's likeness

The Holy Spirit uses our pain

To produce within us His priceless pearls

Building blocks comprising Christian maturity

Joseph felt the sting

When they sold him into slavery

When they thrust him into prison

Though innocent

But these years made him

Into a man

Wise and full of integrity

At the appointed time

He was lifted to a place of prominence

Second in command of Egypt

The Lord transforms our peril into pearls

Suffering into a treasure of the sea

As we offer Him our lives,

God is changing you and me