Beautiful Pearls

[Guest guest]

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.

One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store,

Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that

necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her

mother said, " Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot

of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get

home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the

necklace.

And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a

whole dollar bill, too. Okay? " Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the

pearl necklace for her.

 

Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her

grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny

had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them

everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to

run errands.

 

The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower. Her mother had

told her that they would turn her neck green!

 

Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get

up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite

story. One night when he finished the story, he said, " Jenny, do you

love me? " " Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you, " the little girl said.

 

" Well, then, give me your pearls. " " Oh! Daddy, not my pearls! " Jenny

said. " But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave

her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party

outfit, too. Okay? " " Oh no, darling, that's okay. " Her father brushed

her cheek with a kiss. " Good night, little one. "

 

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, " Do you

love me? " " Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you. " " Well, then, give me

your pearls. "

 

" Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do

you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can

play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you

want her, " Daddy, " the little girl said to her father. " No, that's

okay, " her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. God

bless you, little one. Sweet dreams. "

 

Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story,

Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. " Here, Daddy, "

she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl

necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand.

 

With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and the other he pulled

out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real,

genuine, beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for

Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.

 

So it is with GOD. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in

our lives so he can give us beautiful treasure.

Isn't God good?

This made me think about the things I hold on to and wonder what God

wants to give me in its place.

 

Want Beautiful Pearls?

Give up cheap things in life...