The Pearl Necklace

Jenny was a bright eyed, pretty five years old girl.

One day when she and her mother were checking out the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at two dollars fifty cents.
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. Don't forget that for your birthday, Grandma might just 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 the 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 as 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." Her father asked mischievously.
"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 asked Jenny again 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. 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 lips were 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 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. It is the same 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 treasures. 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.