God Using Sandpaper

For the past few weeks, I have been pretty angry; angry because someone at church isn't treating a dear friend of mine in a loving or encouraging way . . . quite the opposite, and it makes me mad . . . spittin' mad!  It also encourages me to love others.  Her bad attitude makes my own attitude better (at least in this area.)  Seeing how ugly this particular sin is makes me want to be diligent to weed it out of my life and love a life of loving and encouraging others.  The analogy of sandpaper comes to mind, how it seems abrasive and harmful to the wood, but in the end, it makes the wood clean and smooth.  Mr. M and I were watching a racing documentary last night, and the focus was on two rival drivers.  One of the racers said of the other that, far from being his rival, he was one of his best supporters as their rivalry and desire to analyze and improve upon the other's performance, pushed them both to excel.  Who is God using in your life to refine you?  As angry, hurt, and sad as you may be,  you can use it as an opportunity to grow in Godliness.  You can thank God for that irritating, abrasive person, and take the time to see that you aren't irritating and abrasive yourself.