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There once was a certain individual who understood – a sword is a sword, but the good one, is the sword that is tempered.  

 

In fact, the best sword is tempered many, many times through the process of being shoved into a furnace, which brings it to an unbelievable temperature (almost to the point of melting); and then it gets snatched out of the breath of fire, only to be beaten and beaten and beaten, over and over again, until it is folded and beaten down some more.  Only to be, once again, thrown right back into the fire, to have this process repeated over and over again…. 

 

Until finally, it is slammed into water for the final tempering.

 

Then it is polished, polished in such a way as to make the sword not only aesthetically perfect, but absolutely perfect.

 

Some of the greatest swords ever made were folded hundreds of times.  No element on Earth could withstand a blow from these swords and no element on Earth could harm these swords, for their tempering was so great.

 

These swords have always been coveted by those who know swords.

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But, this individual also understood that there are people who claim to have good swords, too, which unfortunately, break upon their first bit of use.  These swords are clay swords.  These swords look like swords outwardly, on the outside.  Many are highly polished and beautifully adorned with magnificent sheathing.  But, most critically, these swords have yet to be tempered – even a little bit.

 

I know one thing, if I were to ever have to go into battle, I would want to have at my side a sword that has been tempered - one that has been put through the fire, many, many times.   One that has been beaten and folded and beaten down some more and then shoved right back into the fire.  I would want one that has been tempered more than any other sword that mine may go up against.

 

I would not want a clay sword.