Late at night, my mother quietly asked if I could help her sort beans. She explained that my grandmother’s bean harvest had been so successful that they were planning to sell the beans at the market—all two large sacks of them. Since it was well past bedtime, I answered a bit curtly and flopped down in the living room.
I had expected the beans to all look the same, but to my surprise, each one was different. Mother explained that only firm and beautiful beans could be sold and showed me how to sort them. Rolling up my sleeves, I began to carefully pick through the pile. As it turned out, truly good-looking beans were rare. If one looked fine at first glance, it often had a blemish, a spot, or was smaller than the others. By the time we finished sorting, only about half of the original beans were good enough to sell.
As I sorted the beans, I began to reflect on my faith and my hope for heaven. Heaven is a place where only those without spot or blemish can enter. Was my faith being prepared to that standard? I felt guilty, reflecting on myself.
God, with endless patience and prayers of tears, waits for us to be shaped into complete beings. From now on, I will strive to obey God’s will at every moment, remembering that every experience in life is part of Heavenly Parents’ eternal love, shaping me into a finished masterpiece.