THE REAL THING
I once was told about a little girl who wanted
to buy some pearls with her allowance. They were imitation pop-it beads, but
she didn’t know that. She had seen them in the Five & Ten and she told her
parents she wanted to save her allowance money to make the purchase.
They agreed, so once she had the money
accumluated, her mother took her to the Five & Ten where the little girl
bought the coveted strand of “pearls.” She loved them! They were fake, but not
to her. Wearing them made her feel dressy and grown-up. She wore the “pearls” everywhere
-- Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off
was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Her mother said if they got
wet, they might turn her neck green.
The little
girl also had a very loving father.
One day he said, "Sweetheart, 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 my toy horse."
“That's okay,
Honey. Daddy loves you." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week
later, the little girl’s father 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."
"That's okay. God bless you, little
one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle
kiss.
A few days later, the little girl
nervously walked up to her father and held out her strand of pop-it beads.
"Here, Daddy. This is for you." At that, her father reached out with
one hand to take the imitation pearl necklace, and with the other hand, he
reached into his own pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of
genuine pearls. “Then this is my gift to you, sweeheart,” he said, giving a
strand of real pearls to his daughter.
He had been carrying them the whole time,
but was waiting for her to give up the artificial pearls so he could give her genuine treasure.
He was unwilling to give the real thing to her until she was willing to give up
the fake.
To me, this is a picture of my relationship with God, Who does not want me
settling for anything less. But I need to let go of the old pop-it beads that I’ve
treasured since I was a child. Recovery is teaching me to seek God first, and
so I do. Working the steps helps me recognize the “fake pearls” in my life and
hand them over. That seems to be when God moves closer and gives me the real
thing.
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