Author Unknown
Pearls are a product of pain. When a grain of sand pierces the shell of an oyster, all the otherwise dormant resources within the tiny oyster respond to the foreign irritant by caring for that sensitive spot. Over time, the sand particle is covered by healing fluids, and the wound becomes a pearl.
That's true for you, too. When hardships invade your life, allow God's Spirit to shape your response. Don't be bitter. Don't rush ahead of His plan. Rest in Him. Allow Him time to turn that irritation into an opportunity for your growth - and watch a beautiful pearl emerge from your set of circumstances.
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." - James 1:2-4