The Trials of Life

Martin was a rich man. Within a short time he had suffered a whole bunch of trials, and had grown very sad over these trials. In order to get his mind off of his troubles, he left the city and traveled into the country.

On his journey Martin passed through a little town where he saw a farmer turning the grain over in his barn. Martin asked the farmer why he did this, and the farmer explained that it was to prevent the grain from rotting. Later Martin went into the fields where men were plowing. He asked the workers why they were doing this and was told that it was in order to loosen the soil, so that it could absorb the sunshine.

Martin continued on his way and entered a vineyard where he saw a vine grower pruning the grapevines. Asking the man why he did this, Martin was told that it was to help the vines to produce many good grapes.

After this Martin went for a little walk and thought about the things which he had been told. He looked into his heart and said, "Why art thou sad, O my soul? I am the grain that has to be turned over, so that it doesn't rot. I am the soil that has to be plowed, in order to receive blessings from Heaven. I am the vine that has to be pruned, in order to produce good fruits, for eternity."

From that time on, Martin suffered his trials with patience and resignation. He realized that his trials were sent by God, to help him become a saint. And he realized that if he suffered these trials without complaining, he could save souls from going to Hell. He also realized that these trials might also be his Purgatory on earth!

We all have trials. Some of us have more trials than others. But we must remember that God sends these trials for our salvation. God knows what He is doing. To give you a little idea, one day, go with your parents, and take an elevator to the top of a high building. Look out the window. You can see cars and people for blocks at a time. You can also see what could happen, if people did not watch where they were walking, and cars drove too fast. Remember, God sees all this, and more; He sees everything and knows everything. So when He sends you a little trial, an earache, a headache, a stomach ache, take medicine if needed, and bear these trials for the love of God.

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