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 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.
******
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 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.
******
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