I just got this in my email from an elder's wife (she knows I am not going to meetings):
Pearls
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
'Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?' Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
'Two dollars. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.' As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 55 cents. After dinner, she unset the table and helped do the washing up, and next day she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could dig up dandelions for 50 cents.
At last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, to the shops, to kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they get wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, 'Do you love me?''Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.' 'Then give me your pearls.''Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess --- the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite.' 'That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.' And he kissed her on the forehead.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, 'Do you love me?' 'Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.' 'Then give me your pearls .' 'Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. My brand new one. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her bed. 'That's okay. Sleep well, little one. Daddy loves you.' And, as always he gave her forehead a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
'What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?' Jenny didn't say anything, but lifted her little hand up to her daddy and when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, 'here, Daddy. It's for you.' With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the costume necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.
He had had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the fake stuff so he could give her a genuine treasure.
And so it is, with our Heavenly Father Jehovah.
He is waiting for us to give up the false and cheap things in our lives so that he can give us a beautiful treasure.
Isn't Jehovah God good? Are you holding onto things that Jehovah God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary friends, relationships, habits and activities that 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: Jehovah will never ask you to give up something without giving you something better in its place.
GAG!! Retch! Horrendous illustration, I give it a 2.0 on a scale of 100.
