The Master Assayer
Theme: The Crucible of Suffering and Spiritual Purification
A man was watching a master assayer refine a piece of raw, jagged gold ore. The assayer placed the rock into a crucible and put it into a roaring furnace.
"Why must the fire be so hot?" the observer asked. "Because," the assayer replied, "the gold is trapped inside the dross and impurities. The heat must be intense enough to melt the stone, bringing the impurities to the top so I can skim them off."
The observer watched as the assayer sat patiently by the fiery furnace, never taking his eyes off the crucible for a single second. "Why do you watch it so closely?" the observer asked. "Can't you just set a timer?"
"No," the master replied. "If the gold stays in the fire a fraction of a moment too long, it will be destroyed. I must watch it constantly."
"How do you know when it is perfectly refined?" the observer asked.
The master assayer smiled. "That's the easy part. It is perfectly refined the moment I can see my own reflection in it."
Reflection
When we pass through the fires of sorrow, sickness, or trial, it can feel like God has abandoned us to the flames. But God is the Master Assayer. He never takes His eyes off us in our suffering, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can bear. He allows the heat only to burn away our pride, until He can see His own Holy image reflected perfectly in our souls.