Fw: Cast out your pearls

["Brennon Davies" <brdavies@globalcenter.net>]

>
> The cheerful girl with bouncy 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 eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A 
>dollar ninety-five.  That's almost $2.00.  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.  Your birthday's only a week away and you 
>might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got 
>home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies.  After 
>dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the 
>neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten 
>cents.  On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and 
>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-Sunday school, 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 got 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 brushed her cheek with a kiss.
>
> About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do 
>you love me?"  "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls."  
>"Oh Daddy, not my pearls.  But you can have my baby doll. The brand new 
>one I got for my birthday.  She is so beautiful and you can have the 
>yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."  "That's okay. Sleep well.  God 
>bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."  And as always, he brushed her 
>cheek with 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 dime-store 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 them all the time.  He was just waiting for her to give up the 
>dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
>
> Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father.  He also is waiting for us 
>to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first ... so He can fling 
>open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will 
>not have room enough to hold it.
>What are you hanging on to?
>
> Never be afraid to try something new.
> Remember, amateurs built the ark.
> Professionals built the Titanic.
>