The cheerful girl with bouncy brown
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 brown
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
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.
In Matthew 6:31-33 it tells us:
"Therefore, take no thought, saying,
What shall we eat? Or, what shall
we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?
(For after these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you."
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