A dear friend  sent this to me.....

Words from Tim Keller:

But how does God exercise this power in our lives? It is through sorrow and trouble. The stones of our life come together to form an altar because they are “cemented with tears.” It is suffering that takes the various parts of our lives and forges them into something that can praise God. Difficulty breaks our lives into pieces, just as a boulder has to be broken if it is to be the material to build a bridge, a wall, or an altar. Trials and troubles show us our insufficiency, reveal to us our weakness and sin and our need for him.

The image of the altar means a heart that is on fire with God’s praise and love. “My heart an altar and thy love the flame,” goes an old hymn. But to have the joy of knowing God’s grace and love requires the tears of a heart broken over the knowledge of its sin. “My sacrifice is…a broken and contrite spirit.” (Psalm 51:17)
The image of the altar also represents a heart dedicated—“sanctified”—offered to God in usefulness and service. But do you see that it is largely through our tears, through our difficulties, that God has shaped us into people that can be useful in his service, in ministry, and in the lives of others? It is suffering that teaches you patience, sympathy, wisdom, and how to rely on God. “We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)