He went on to highlight that no matter what squeezes the orange, orange juice comes out. Whether it was a man, woman, or child, a machine or a robot, when an orange gets squeezed, orange juice comes out. The external pressures do not change the kind of juice inside.

Applied to us, when life ‘squeezes’ us, when the pressures, crosses, challenges, and difficulties come, what pours out of us reveals what was already inside. If anger, hate, revenge, malice seep out, that says something about us, not the crosses.

When Christ was going to His cross, life ‘squeezed.’ He was mocked, spat upon, hit, tortured, and crucified. And what came pouring out? God’s love. Christ forgave, he spoke truth, he loved. What came pouring out was already inside.

When we take an honest inventory of what’s inside us, we should turn to the Lord and ask for more of him. We should humbly ask that he replaces our hearts of flesh and gives us more of his heart so that when life gives us a squeeze, his heart is revealed.

. . .

Truth from Scripture:

Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

. . .

Wisdom from the Saints:

“For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more.”

// St. Maximillian Kolbe