The value of diamonds is classified according to the 4 Cs – color, cut, clarity and carat weight. But bits of carbon or other material makes a diamond brittle and easier to break. The type of imperfection not only affects hardness, but can also influence the color and transparency of the stone. The most valuable diamonds are free of impurities, colorless and completely clear, reflecting light so bright it can look like fire in the sunlight.

Uncut diamonds look like dull rocks but an experienced diamond merchant or cutter knows how to select the most promising stones. Just as Proverbs 27:17 says, “[a]s iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,” diamonds are so hard that it takes another diamond to cut and shape them. But one wrong tap or too much pressure at the wrong time can ruin what could be a valuable gem. A cutter often has to remove most of the uncut diamond to make a perfect gemstone.

As writers we often classify ourselves, not according the 4 Cs but the CRPGs – contracts, royalties, publisher, and even genre. Our sliding scale of worth is often compared to other writers too, especially those who began around the same time or belonged to the same critique group. If we’re honest, we may actually think the higher the CRPGs, the more we’re worth as a writer. But we know that’s not the way God thinks.

Just as a large uncut diamond may have most of it cut away to form a perfect gem, God often uses hard situations to shape us into the writer He wants us to be. If you’re in a place where you are comforted by the story of Job, think about this: could his story have helped so many if all those cuts to the core of his life hadn’t happened? God will use that impossible situation to make you a better writer. Remember to keep that emotional journal and look for ways for His love to shine in the midst of your trials. As you are waiting, hone your writing so that you reflect Him.

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Angie Arndt was a corporate trainer before health issues sidelined her. These days she’s active in her local church, ACFW and MBT. She’s a team member of Seriously Write and her personal blog, Joy on the Back Roads. Angie is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency and is currently working on a series of mystery novels set in small Southern towns. She and her husband live in the middle of a big wood outside a small town in South Carolina.