plastic pearls

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 birth-
day Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too.
Okay?" Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl neck-
lace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard everyday, 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 Rosie,
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 with the
other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the
box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He 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 our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give
up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful
treasure. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of?
Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners,
relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached
to that it seems impossible to let go?
Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do
believe this one thing...................... God will never take
away something without giving you something better in its place.
Remember that the greatest gifts happen when you share love and
touch other's hearts. God bless you!

Tariq :: email ::
|1:19 am|
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