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 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 y ou
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 God wants you to let go
of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary
partners, relationships, habits and activities 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 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 y ou
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 God wants you to let go
of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary
partners, relationships, habits and activities 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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