Heat.

"This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver & test them like gold. They will call my name and I will answer them; I will say,'They are my people' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'"
Zechariah 13:9

I just got home from Bikram Yoga. It was AWEfUL.  I'm DRENCHeD & TIREd.  AND... It was AMAZING. I'm exhilarated & happy. Aweful & Amazing. SO GLaD I went.  It's not EASy to go. I have to talk myself into it most days. The class is HARD. No joke. It's RIDiCULoUS. 90 minutes of yoga in a tiny room (think attic) that's 105 degrees. Yep. HOT. Bakersfield summer HOT. As Hot as you can imagine. It's vigorous. I sweat. PROFUSELY. 30 of us sweating profusely.  (So, you know, it SMELLS...) Not only do I CHoOsE to torture myself...I PAY to torture myself.  It costs money to do this. It all seems AWEFUL.
Until AFtERWaRDs. Then. AMAZING.

See...it's the HEAT that brings the BEnEFIT. I wouldn't GO to the class if it wasn't HOT.  I couldn't DO the class without the HEAT.  It's ESsENTIAL.  Flexibility. Strengthening. Blood flow. Detoxifying. SO WORTH the SWEAT.  The same goes in life. When the HEAT is turned UP. When HaRD things are happening. When we're SWEAtING. Suffering. God is REFINING. Making better. Stronger. More flexible. He's PURIFYiNG and DEtOXING. Like gold. He brings us through the heat of the fire for a PURPOSE. He says to consider it JOY, even.  BECAUSE of the BENEFITS. HEAT=Trial=>Testing=>Perseverance=>Maturity. MATURITY EQUALS: Steadfast. Lacking nothing. BEAUTIFUL & Complete.  There is NO EASY WAY through the process. The process is AWEFUL. We just have to ENDURE & TRUST & SWEAT it out. Believe that the OUtCOME will be worth it.

And it is. So worth it. Mature & complete lacking nothing. We are HIS.  Now that's AMAZING;)