The Value of Your Pearl

Lately, it’s been easy to feel discouraged and “irritated” with many things in our lives from family to church to work and the world we live in. Often times, we find ourselves wondering, “What’s the point?”

It’s easy to claim Rom. 8:28 in that God will work everything out for our good, but it’s hard to see past the fact that it’s become so overstated at the same time. As a result, I’ve sadly dismissed it on several occasions when doubt began to sink in. But today, instead of dismissing it, let’s just agree to pause and come back to it.

In the meantime, there is quite a bit of comparison that we can make regarding pearls and our disappointments in life. Heck, I should have enough pearls now to make a really awesome necklace by now! During March of this year, I was really struggling with a few things and, in my quiet time, had an epiphany that lead to the following seemingly random questions. Why did God choose pearls as the entry way to heaven? Why not diamonds? What makes a pearl so special?

Well, a pearl is unique in the way that it is formed. First, it is the ONLY gemstone that is formed from a LIVING organism. Other gemstones are mined, cut and shaped. Secondly, they are formed one by one, individual in nature. Starting to sound familiar?

A pearl begins to form when a foreign particle or “irritant” (like a grain of sand) becomes lodged in the soft tissue or “heart” of the oyster. To relieve it’s suffering, it is coated with a secretion called nacre…the shiny substance that forms mother of pearl on the inside of the shell. But it takes more than just a few layers to make a pearl; therefore it builds up over time. It’s important to note that the size, shape and color of the pearl vary depending on the length of processing time required for the irritant.

Did you know that natural, non-cultured pearls are extremely rare because they are only found in 1 of every 10,000 mollusks?!? This is where I began to understand the value of the pearl. Time, beauty, patience and uniqueness.

God transforms and heals the very thing that is causing the pain or “irritation” making it into a completely new and beautiful creation. Sounds a lot like passing through the pearly gates to me!

However, I relate to it this way….I am the oyster, and God is the nacre. It’s like He’s the shiny substance inside of me that is taking the very pain and hurt that’s lodged in the deepest parts of my heart and transforming it into something beautiful and only me. No one else will have the same experience that produced my pearl which is also why we can’t compare our trials or their duration to anyone else’s either. It reminds me of the “Pearl of Greatest Price” mentioned in Matt. 13:46. Only you and the One who made it know the price of your pearl.

So now, here we are as fall is nearing and I find myself needing to be reminded again of His faithfulness and goodness. Let’s not quit or give up prematurely in the process. I encourage you in this season to let your pearls be a reminder that He is indeed working everything out for your good and His Glory to those who are called according to His purpose. 

It is well...or is it?

Earlier this week, I was listening to a song that has brought me to tears on several occasions. It’s the newer Bethel version of “It is Well” which modernizes an old hymn and makes it relevant to today. But after everything our family has had to endure the last few years, heck, even recently, is it really “well” with my soul?  

After much deliberation, the answer is actually yes, and here’s why. It wasn’t until recently that I finally understood the lyrics to this song. “It is well with my soul” is not a mere acceptance of an adverse and seemingly unchanging and hopeless situation. It is actually a declaration of a trust so confident in the One who brings peace despite the situation. And if your soul doesn’t believe it, then it’s a command from your spirit that it should!

For example, it doesn’t mean that I have chosen to accept living paycheck to paycheck; it just means I KNOW that God will provide and is orchestrating our very footsteps toward prosperity with new ideas, continued favor, divine connections and divine inspiration. Why? Because aside from Jer. 29:11, He has done it before and if He never changes, then He’ll do it again.

I have also not chosen to just accept the cancer, iniquity and death that has plagued those closest to me. No, what I have chosen is to believe that God sees what I cannot, and if healing that person brings glory to Him, then He will. Does it still hurt? Yes, for all parties involved. Can you still grieve and be at peace? Yes. But have you ever wondered how some can still lift their hands despite the storm? In my case, it’s been because of friends that lift them for you. Just this week, it was my turn to be that friend. It’s heartbreaking because the only help that I can offer when I am thousands of miles away is through prayer.  So, today I am commanding my soul to be still and trust…to be well…to worship from a deep well in hopes that it will bring peace to their soul, too.

It is such a relief to know that you don’t have to be perfect to be “well.” It’s about being at peace regardless of the circumstance. That’s it in a nutshell, plain and simple.

If you would like to give the song a listen, just click the link! It is Well

What’s it like being 30-something?

Just for kicks, I decided to dust off the old blog and pen down a few interesting things that I've come to realize about actually being in my 30’s versus my perception of what my 30’s would be like. Here’s a glimpse into my shallow self-reflections:

1. By this point, I realize that I have inevitably become my mother and have inherited all of her “mom-isms” that I SWORE I would never say or do! Thinking is an afterthought as I watch effortless clichés fly out of my mouth. I should start washing my mouth out with soap. Actually, I’m fairly positive she used to do that, too. I can taste the soap just thinking about it.
2. Acne? Really? I never even got it this bad in high school! I’m pretty sure it could pass for Chicken Pox. No, it’s not a mosquito bite either. Why do people feel the need to ask me that? Quit asking. Blasted hormones.
3. Isn't everybody my age expected to drive a mini-van? Not this chick. My view on mini-vans still hasn't changed. I’ll NEVER drive (another) one. No, my Pacifica was NOT a mini-van. It was a “cross-over SUV.” That’s important. Maybe my disdain comes from the fact that it was the first vehicle I learned to drive in high school. It was a Toyota Previa. Been there, done that. Don’t need the T-shirt.
4. I thought hot flashes only happened when you’re old and gray??? Remember when you used to think 30 was old? Now I’m just gray, not old. That’s like 55 now. I think that’s when you start getting AARP anyway. Anyway, one minute I'm freezing, and my heating pad can't get hot enough. Then the next minute, I'm sweating, and I can't get my clothes off fast enough! Blasted hormones...again.
5. Social networking leaves me a bit befuddled. Not Facebook though; that’s still awesome even though my kids tell me it’s for old people. They obviously don’t know what they’re talking about. They must be confusing it with Linked-In. Insta-what? Then there’s Twitter…is it a tweet or a twit? I once had to ask a kid how to use Twitter just so I could tweet a tweet to a twisted twit.
6. My everything hurts…back, neck, hips, knees. I could blame this on the aftereffects of cheerleading and give my mom the satisfaction of being right, or I could just admit that it’s early signs of aging. Still undecided.
7. I miss clear phones, pink jellies, leg warmers, Popples, Rainbow Brite cereal and Geo Trackers. TBT (that means “Truth Be Told”…I learned it on Facebook), my dream car was a white Geo Tracker with neon pink and green accents. This void has never been filled.
8. My generation must be the last American people group to speak English properly. I need a translator just to understand all the slang kids speak these days! Now I’m just gettin’ all up in your grill or feels or however they say it. I mean who actually came up with words like cray-cray, amazeballs and todes adorbs anyway? My spellcheck is having a hissy fit right now! It’s like red squiggles gone wild! Couldn't we just go back to “totally awesome” or “rad” or anything else from the 80’s?
9. Wasn't I supposed to have the American Dream by now? A house, two cars, a few kids and a dog all living blissfully under one roof with cheesy smiles, matching jammies and not a care in the world? Nobody ever told me there would also be a mortgage in addition to student loans, car loans, credit card debt, utility bills, medical bills and insurance premiums. And I’m all for adoption, but I have no idea when I agreed to adopt Uncle Sam. He takes 30% of everything!
10. After all this, what have I done with my life?!? I mean, Jesus died at 33 (yes, I know He rose again) which makes us about the same age. By that time He had already saved the world! Meanwhile, the only thing I've tried saving is my sanity! He also raised people from dead!!! I've raised kids. That counts, right? AND they are all still alive. Yeah, that definitely counts. 

So while my thirties are nothing like I thought they would be, they are exactly how I want them to be…complete with a great marriage, a few kids, a grand kid, a couple dogs, two rabbits and no land line.