Valuable
Pearls
By Karen D’Amore
“…And we
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so but we also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance
character, and character hope.”
Romans 5: 2b-4 (NIV)
They say that “diamonds are a girl’s
best friend,” but I prefer pearls! Unlike diamonds which are mined from the
earth, pearls are miraculously produced by live oysters in the deep seas. In
contrast to diamonds, whose beauty is developed by man-made cuts and polishing,
the pearl’s beauty cannot be manufactured by man.
“A natural pearl begins its life as
a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally lodges
itself in an oyster’s soft inner body where it cannot be expelled. To ease this
irritant, the oyster’s body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to
secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to
protect itself. This substance is called ‘nacre.’ As long as the irritant
remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete layers of nacre
around it. Over time, the irritant will be completely encased by the silky
crystalline coatings, producing the lovely, lustrous gem called a pearl.” [1]
I’m encouraged by the process of an irritant transforming into a valuable gem.
Life is filled with irritants. As Christ-followers, we’re not immune from
irritating circumstances or relationships that “get under our skin!” There are
times where I’ve wrestled with relationships that God has clearly allowed to
remain in my inner-circle. Though irritating and sometimes unjust, I’ve worked
to be tolerantly kind, but more than once, I’ve pleaded with and questioned God
in the midst of it.
One pivotal morning, at the peak of
my frustration…my favorite strand of pearls broke and scattered across the bedroom
floor. As I frantically scooped the loose pearls into my hands, I was reminded
of the pearl-creating process. In that moment, God impressed upon me that He
wasn’t changing my irritating circumstances because He wanted to use the
irritant to change me. God wanted to grow me and shape my godly character. My
choice became: continue struggling with the irritant which inflamed me…or
embrace it!
Embracing irritants and covering
them with grace and love orchestrates opportunities for transformation into
lustrous, valuable pearls! With “luster” being the beauty of light reflected
from the pear’ls surface, it’s the pearl’s ability to reflect light that determines
its value.
Got irritations? Cover them in
prayer - - wrap them in love - - transform them into Light-reflecting, valuable pearls!
GOING
DEEPER:
- Identify your irritation(s).
- Can you - - with the Lord’s help and guidance
- - turn them into a lustrous strand of pearls?
FURTHER
READING:
Married to Dan,
Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns
Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She also serves on the Oakwood Women’s
Ministry Special Events team.
