--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wherever souls are being tried and…" description: "\"Wherever souls are being tried and ripened, in whatever commonplace and homely way, there God is hewing out the pillars for His temple.\" — Phillips Brooks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd0/phillips-brooks-2696_commonplace_wherever-souls-are-being-tried-and-ripen_973766.png" --- # Wherever souls are being tried and ripened, in whatever… ![“Wherever souls are being tried and ripened, in whatever commonplace and homely way, there God is hewing out the pillars for His temple.” quote by Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd0/phillips-brooks-2696_commonplace_wherever-souls-are-being-tried-and-ripen_973766.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd0/phillips-brooks-2696_commonplace_wherever-souls-are-being-tried-and-ripen_973766.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd0/phillips-brooks-2696_commonplace_wherever-souls-are-being-tried-and-ripen_973766.png) > “Wherever souls are being tried and ripened, in whatever commonplace and homely way, there God is hewing out the pillars for His temple.” [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God shapes individuals through everyday trials, building them into a larger purpose. **In simple terms:** God uses daily challenges to form us. Key Takeaway Embrace ordinary hardships as part of a divine plan. Themes faith growth purpose Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational theological When to use this quote - personal loss - career setbacks - relationship struggles - health crises Key Concepts spiritual formation theodicy Questions to Reflect On - How can you see purpose in a current difficulty? - What distinguishes divine shaping from mere misfortune? A Different Perspective Not all suffering leads to growth; some may be random or excessive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commonplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonplace/) [God Hewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-hewing-1887485/) [Hewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hewing-1887488/) [Hewing Pillars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hewing-pillars-1887486/) [Homely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homely/) [Pillars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pillars/) [Pillars Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pillars-temple-289701/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Souls Tried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souls-tried-1887487/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Temples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temples/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“For the pillars of the temple stand apart,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/for-the-pillars-of-the-temple-stand-apart/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [From the corner of his eye, Eragon saw Orik hewing Urgal necks with mighty blows of his ax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/from-the-corner-of-his-eye-eragon-saw-orik-hewing-urgal-necks-with/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [In 'Demon's Souls,' we tried to implement some features in a kind of experimental way, not being sure whether or not it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidetaka-miyazaki/in-demon-s-souls-we-tried-to-implement-some-features-in-a-kind-of/) [Hidetaka Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidetaka-miyazaki/) > [Because I like that I got an ugly girl's personality. In other words, a homely girl always has to develop that muscle. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/because-i-like-that-i-got-an-ugly-girl-s-personality-in-other-words-a/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [Even though I am an actor, by nature I am what you could call a homely girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divyanka-tripathi/even-though-i-am-an-actor-by-nature-i-am-what-you-could-call-a-homely/) [Divyanka Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divyanka-tripathi/) > [Robert Frost says in a piece of homely doggerel that he has hoped wisdom could be not only Attic but Laconic, Boeotian even -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/robert-frost-says-in-a-piece-of-homely-doggerel-that-he-has-hoped/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [The man who could withstand, with his fellow-men in single line, a charge of cavalry may lose all command of himself on the occurrence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/the-man-who-could-withstand-with-his-fellow-men-in-single-line-a/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [Good-looking individuals are treated better than homely ones in virtually every social situation, from dating to trial by jury. If everyday experience hasn't convinced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/good-looking-individuals-are-treated-better-than-homely-ones-in/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Dear Lord, who made the face of me not all that I would have it be, not really homely, only plain, but strong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-perry/dear-lord-who-made-the-face-of-me-not-all-that-i-would-have-it-be-not/) [Ruth Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-perry/) > [ My new city \[Seattle\] and its hinterland felt deceptively homely. Their similar latitude gave them the angular light and lingering evenings I was used… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-raban/my-new-city-seattle-and-its-hinterland-felt-deceptively-homely-their/) [Jonathan Raban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-raban/) > [The pilasters reaching down were adorned with a glistering substance (I know not what) under glass (as it seemed), resembling - a homely fancy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/the-pilasters-reaching-down-were-adorned-with-a-glistering-substance/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Quite the ugliest face I ever saw was that of a woman whom the world called beautiful. Through its silver veil the evil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/quite-the-ugliest-face-i-ever-saw-was-that-of-a-woman-whom-the-world/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [There is a homely directness about these rustic apothegms which makes them far more palatable than the strained and sophisticated epigrams of the characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brander-matthews/there-is-a-homely-directness-about-these-rustic-apothegms-which-makes/) [Brander Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brander-matthews/) > [I was a homely kid with freckles that came out every spring and stuck on me till Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrna-loy/i-was-a-homely-kid-with-freckles-that-came-out-every-spring-and-stuck/) [Myrna Loy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrna-loy/) > [Plain living and high thinking are no more. The homely beauty of the good old cause Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/plain-living-and-high-thinking-are-no-more-the-homely-beauty-of-the/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) ## More by Phillips Brooks > [Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Christmas day is a day of joy and charity. May God make you very rich in both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/christmas-day-is-a-day-of-joy-and-charity-may-god-make-you-very-rich/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Preaching is truth through personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/preaching-is-truth-through-personality/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/nothing-lies-beyond-the-reach-of-prayer-except-that-which-lies/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Everywhere the flower of obedience is intelligence. Obey a man with cordial loyalty and you will understand him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/everywhere-the-flower-of-obedience-is-intelligence-obey-a-man-with/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/o-do-not-pray-for-easy-lives-pray-to-be-stronger-men-do-not-pray-for/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [So shall we join the disciples of our Lord, keeping faith in Him in spite of the crucifixion, and making ready, by our loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/so-shall-we-join-the-disciples-of-our-lord-keeping-faith-in-him-in/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-trouble-is-that-i-m-in-a-hurry-but-god-isn-t/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-truest-help-we-can-render-an-afflicted-man-is-not-to-take-his/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“The danger facing all of us--let me say it again, for one feels it tremendously--is not that we shall make an absolute failure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-danger-facing-all-of-us-let-me-say-it-again-for-one-feels-it/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [There is a necessary limit to our achievement, but none to our attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/there-is-a-necessary-limit-to-our-achievement-but-none-to-our-attempt/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Character - Some day, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/character-some-day-you-will-be-wrestling-with-the-great-temptation-or/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [The essential tendency of life is toward happiness . . . . Optimism is the only true condition for a reasonable man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-essential-tendency-of-life-is-toward-happiness-optimism-is-the/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [To find his place and fill it is success for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/to-find-his-place-and-fill-it-is-success-for-a-man/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [It is God's world still. It has been given to man not absolutely, but in trust, that man may work out in it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/it-is-god-s-world-still-it-has-been-given-to-man-not-absolutely-but/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) [Explore all 153 Phillips Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) ## More Commonplace quotes > [It was just the sort of yatch you'd expect a rock promoter to have. Mirrored ceilings, marble, Jacuzzis and leopard-skin everything, it made the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/it-was-just-the-sort-of-yatch-you-d-expect-a-rock-promoter-to-have/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. 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Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury - to me these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/ever-since-childhood-i-have-scorned-the-commonplace-limits-so-often/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [After all, the commonplaces are the great poetic truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/after-all-the-commonplaces-are-the-great-poetic-truths/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“In a sense nothing is commonplace, for everything exists visibly by means of light and color, and light and color are the most fundamental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parkhurst-the-painter-in-oil/in-a-sense-nothing-is-commonplace-for-everything-exists-visibly-by/) [David Parkhurst The Painter In Oil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parkhurst-the-painter-in-oil/) > [Great geniuses have the shortest biographies. Their cousins can tell you nothing about them. 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