Have you ever heard the expression “Every cloud has its silver lining”? It's a nice saying; but we, as Catholics, have the even more comforting reality that “God brings good out of every evil.” Usually, though, it is difficult to see the benefit of our sufferings (misfortunes, annoyances and the like) in our day to day lives. Sometimes, we seem to only understand them afterwards.....

A certain princess and her two daughters, having been invited to a wedding, were traveling by carriage to the neighboring castle where it was to be celebrated. These three ladies were very elegantly attired, and wore a great many jewels and gold ornaments.

The road which they were taking led into a forest, but just as they entered this forest the coachman, who was driving very fast, steered their vehicle closer than intended through the hanging branches of a nearby tree. As the occupants of the carriage brushed through the drooping foliage, one of the young ladies cried out to the coachman to stop. Dismayed, she explained that one of the branches had caught onto a pearl necklace of hers, breaking the cord and scattering the pearls everywhere.

The carriage was halted and the servants immediately went back to search for the missing gems. Unfortunately, they had scattered all along the road, and it took nearly an hour to gather them all up. The ladies were naturally very annoyed by the accident, especially because they were now quite late, too late to attend the wedding itself.

Just as the they were about to be off again, they heard someone call after them. Turning to see who it was, they saw a woodcutter running up to them out of the forest.

“Thank God, that you have traveled no farther!” he exclaimed, nearly out of breath. “Deep in the forest, a gang of robbers is lying in wait for you. I overheard them arranging their plans, and so I came as fast as I could by a roundabout way, hoping to warn you of the danger in time.”

Most grateful to the good man, the princess rewarded him generously, and ordered the coachman to drive them back home.

And so we see, that what we often consider a misfortune often proves, in God's wise councils, to be the very reverse.