V'hinai parach matei Aharon... vayotzei perach vayatzeitz tzitz vayigmol shkeidim. (17:23)
Quote from: Harav Moshe Feinstein Zt"l, Sefer Darash Moshe:
"The blossoms stayed on Aharon's staff even after it was laden with almonds! (Usually, the blossom falls off & the fruit grows in its place)
This is to teach us that, in Kedusha matters, all the toil & pain which we endured in attaining our goal doesn't get washed away with the focus being only on the end result. Aderaba, that stays in the person's 'account' to his everlasting credit!"
Many of us wish for the day when we will be 'cured' & will be able to leave this whole process behind...
We should know & remember: This is not just a path toward our destiny, this IS our destiny!
Hashem doesn't care for us being perfectly clean. He put us here FOR the journey.
He wants our growing pains! He wants to watch us blossom! Our current experiences are being recorded by Hashem. He is gonna treasure them FOREVER!