But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
~ I Peter 3:4
The Pearls
Jenny loved her daddy very much and he loved her just as much. One of her favorite things to do was to sit on his lap in the big arm chair next to the fireplace after dinner.
On this particular day while she was sitting on his lap he pulled out a pretty little necklace and fastened it around her neck. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It had all her favorite colors in it. From that time on she wore it all the time, except of course when her mother made her take it off to take a bath.
Several months later when she was sitting on her daddy's lap he asked her if he could have the necklace back. She was a bit puzzled. She couldn't figure out what a daddy would do with a necklace. When she asked him he said that he was going to throw it in the fire.
She was horrified. That was one of her most prized posessions. He gave it to her. Why would he want to throw it into the fire? "No daddy, you can't throw my necklace into the fire. I love it." she cried.
She slid down off his lap. For the next few days she was afraid to sit on his lap. She knew she was holding something back from him and things just were not the same. Finally, after about a week she couldn't stand it any longer. After dinner she went over to the chair where her daddy was sitting and put the necklace into his hand. He smiled as he picked her up and put her onto his lap. Then he tossed the necklace into the fire.
Jenny cried a few tears as she hugged her daddy for comfort. She looked up at him and saw that a tear was running down his cheek too. Then her daddy pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and handed it to Jenny. She opened it and inside was a beautiful string of real pearls. Her daddy wanted her to learn to trust him even when she didn't understand.
Sometimes that is what my Heavenly Father does with me. He asks me to give him something that is very precious to me. He wants me to trust Him. "You can't obey God without getting a blessing."
