From Flaw to awe

There was once a king who owned a large, perfectly cut diamond. He was very proud of it and made itthe national symbol of his country. You can imagine how upset he was when somehow the diamond was damaged and its beauty was marred by a long, hairlike scratch. Its splendor was gone. Its sparkle was dimmed.

The king gathered all his jewelers for consultation. " Its ruined", they said . " It's lost most of its value." In desperation , the king sent word throughout the kingdom," Anyonewho can repair the diamond to restore some of its value will be rewarded".
Finally , just as the king was about to give up hope of restoring the stone to its former beauty, a poor lapidary called on him." Sire, this same scratch that has diminished the diamond's worth will become its most beautiful asset" the jeweler promised.

The king entrusted the man with the stone, and many weeks passed before this return.. When the lapidary opened the velvet box to display his craftmanship, the king gasped in amazement. There was the stone, all right- more exquisite than ever- with a beautiful rose carved on it. Only the king could detect that the rose's stem was the same scratch that had once so dismayed him.
Like the rose, the scratches in your life can be beautiful opportunities for God to turn a negative into a positive.