There was once a man by the name of Faithful. All day he worked, serving the Lord. He did many acts of kindness, to rich and poor, and always he told the people he met about the love of God and the forgiveness He offers through
Christ.
One night as he lay sleeping, Faithful had a dream.
He found himself in a large room, with shelves and tools, seated at a bench, and working. All over the table were stones, and he polished the stones. There were others with him in the room, and some of them were also hard
at work, too, but others sat watching.
Faithful polished the stones with files, rough cloths and abrasives, and as he worked, he saw that the stones reacted to his industry. Some crumbled to sand. Some became smooth and shiny, in brilliant colors. With some stones,
great chips flaked off, and they sparkled with the fire of true gems; rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. There were some stones which, no matter how long Faithful worked or which tools he used, he could not change, and they
remained the same as they were as he started, ugly and plain.
After a while, Faithful heard a blast of a horn, and all the people put down their tools. Trays were brought in and food was served to watchers and workers alike. Soon the Master Jeweler came into the room. Faithful stood beside
his table, as the Master looked over his work.
The Master picked up many stones and put them into the pockets of His apron. Then, selecting one of the dull, hard stones, He took His chisel and with a few taps of His hammer, chipped away to reveal a glittering diamond. He took another dull stone and crushed it to black dusty powder. Some of Faithful's stones He moved to another worker’s table, and brought Faithful more stones.
Before He left, the Master Jeweler gave instructions; “Well done, my Journeymen. But all my people must work. There are other stones on these
high shelves and under the benches that you must bring. Get ladders and brooms, so none of my gems will be lost.”
Faithful asked Him: “Master could you tell me or show me, which stones are gems and which are worthless? The one you crushed looked the same as the diamond. And some stones we have polished until they are shiny, but
although they have bright colors, they are only just pretty stones.”
The Jeweler answered: “Polish all my stones.”
Faithful followed The Master Jeweler to the Great Hall. There he saw what happened to the stones that the master had put in his Apron. Here were huge walls, and covering them was a magnificent mural, which the Master was
making with the stones.
The Background was made of the sand and dull powder from the crushed stones. The beautiful scenery was made from the pretty stones, in bright colors. In the foreground of the scene were glorious Angels, the most beautiful figures Faithful had ever seen. They were made from the glittering gems: the precious rubies, emeralds, and sapphires and the diamonds. The dazzling mural was so wonderful that it took his breath away.
When the Master had put the newest stones in place, he turned to stand beside Faithful in the doorway. “It is not finished,” the Jeweler said. “Soon you will wake from your dream. Remember these things as you serve me on Earth. Think of this Heavenly scene when you become weary and discouraged.”
“Master,” Faithful asked, “ please tell me what this means.”
The Master Jeweler replied :
“ I have given my people work to do, but many watch instead of working. The stones are the souls of men, which I created. When you do good on Earth, acts of kindness, and tell of my Power and my Saving Grace, you have an effect on all you meet. The result in that person’s life shows what kind of stone it is.
" Some will be crushed, they cannot bear my Holiness. Some will accept my Grace, although it might take great trial and pain to chip away the bits of stone to reveal the precious gems that I created. There are some people who will benefit from your work. They are only pretty stones, not priceless gems at all. But because of your testimony of Me, you improve the world you live in, even when no soul is saved that day.
" Sometimes other workers will have more success on souls which you
have served, and you may reach some on whom none other is able to have any effect at all. And from time to time, you will find those who will not respond to anyone. The diamond is inside, but only the Hand of God himself can rescue it.
"You cannot make a diamond from sand, and you cannot tell a priceless treasure from a common rock. But no thing I have made is worthless, for all my creation shows the Glory of my powerful Hand. Each stone is part of the big picture. Even the common, dull sand and plain, pretty colors show the Dazzling Beauty and Magnificence of my Glorious Design. Remember these things."
