Coal or Diamond?

I love science! Science fascinates me. One amazing fact is that coal, diamond, and graphite are fundamentally the same substance -- elemental carbon. Another amazing fact is how we value these three substances -- coal is worth about $35/ton; graphite is worth about $3500/ton (ranges between $1000-$20000/ton); diamond is worth about $10,000,000,000/ton.

We humans are created to be God's highest and best work. God Himself estimated our value to be worth the sacrificial death of His own son. In light of the fact they we bear the fingerprints of God, how is it that we don't see the value of ourselves and others. Who doesn't know the Golden Rule -- Treat others the way you want to be treated? Honestly, we don't...or at least we act like we don't.

I work with athletes. Every athlete I know dreams of going pro. That's problematic, since most sports don't have pro leagues. Let's see: football, baseball/softball, basketball, golf, tennis. That's about it. There are also a few sports where a handful of athletes can get by on corporate scholarships. But of the millions of young athletes, very few will make it to college sports, much less the pros. What's more, most pro athletes have a career of less than 5 years. There's a high potential for disappointment for youngsters and their families who see a career in professional sports as a big lottery.

Sadly, there's far more enthusiasm among families for success in sport than in academics. Face it, most of us are going to have to earn a living doing something much less glamorous than playing sports. Another small percentage may become musicians or actors, but most of us will pay the bills by using what we learned in school rather than on the stage or on the field of competition.

All of us have the opportunity to go to school. Some of us experience difficulties in school because of things beyond our control (like moving around); others are distracted by a desire to be entertained. In all fairness, whether we value education like coal or like diamond depends, to some extent, by how those around us value education. It's true that Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates don't have college degrees, but they both got into Harvard and they both had big ideas. They also worked very hard at making their ideas come true.

What's the difference between a lump of coal and a diamond (other than their value)? Diamonds are formed under intense heat and pressure. We may start out life fundamentally alike, but life itself forms us into who we become.  The next time you are confronted with making difficult choices, ask yourself are you coal or diamond.