The Pearls
Here is the story I used, that I was afraid was way too cheesy, but couldn't figure out how to best end my sermon on Sunday so I used it anyway and people seemed to like it. It is from a sermon I heard preached by Jeremiah Wright in 1996 or so that he took from something that was circulated around the internet in those early days of making sure everyone would read the same story over and over again... Remember those days???
An 8 year old girl and her mother were at Cub Foods and at the checkout, down by the knees of we grownups, where the eyes of children tend to focus, the little girl spotted some green pearls. She begged her Mother to buy them for her begged and begged. Mom picked up the pearls and did what most parents would do, looked at the price, $1.98, with tax, $2.14. "Ok," Mom said, "but you are going to have to work to pay for these." The little girl assured her mother that that would be fine, she was after all, 8 years old. Sure enough she worked hard to pay off those pearls, she raked her yard, her neighbors yard, everyone's yard and finally got the money to give back to her mother. (I guess 8 year olds only make 25 cents per yard...) The little girl absolutely loved those pearls and wore them everywhere she went, except to bed and in the shower cause her Mom said they would turn her neck green.
Shortly after she paid back her Mother for those pearls her Dad started an odd ritual. He would walk into the room each night, after she had hopped into bed, read her a story and said, "Baby, do you love me?" The little girl would say, "Yeah Daddy, you know I love you!" And Daddy would say, "If you love me, give me those pearls." At first she was shocked that her Dad would ask such a thing, then each night she began to negotiate, "Baby, do you love me?" "Yes Daddy, I love you!" "If you love me, give me those pearls." "Daddy, you know I love you, how about I give you my favorite Teddy Bear instead." Or she would say, "Daddy, you KNOW I love you, how about I give you my Barbi Doll!" Or she would say, remembering this was 1996 or so, "Daddy, how about I give you my Spice Girl!" Each night her Dad would say, "That's OK, you know Daddy loves you." and he would tuck her in and give her a kiss good night.
This ritual went on for many weeks, until one night her Daddy came in to find the little girl on top of her bed, not under the covers, crying. "Daddy," she said, "I love you. Here." And she handed her Daddy the green pearls she loved so much. He took them and put them in his pocket and pulled out a leather case and opened it. In the case were real, genuine, cultured pearls that were extremely valuable. He said, "Baby, I have had these all along, but in order to receive the good stuff, you had to let go if the Cheap Stuff." Moral of the story, what is the cheap stuff that we are holding on to that is keeping us from seeing Christ in others, that is keeping us from seeing Christ in ourselves. What cheap stuff do we hang onto?
Be well,
A+
An 8 year old girl and her mother were at Cub Foods and at the checkout, down by the knees of we grownups, where the eyes of children tend to focus, the little girl spotted some green pearls. She begged her Mother to buy them for her begged and begged. Mom picked up the pearls and did what most parents would do, looked at the price, $1.98, with tax, $2.14. "Ok," Mom said, "but you are going to have to work to pay for these." The little girl assured her mother that that would be fine, she was after all, 8 years old. Sure enough she worked hard to pay off those pearls, she raked her yard, her neighbors yard, everyone's yard and finally got the money to give back to her mother. (I guess 8 year olds only make 25 cents per yard...) The little girl absolutely loved those pearls and wore them everywhere she went, except to bed and in the shower cause her Mom said they would turn her neck green.
Shortly after she paid back her Mother for those pearls her Dad started an odd ritual. He would walk into the room each night, after she had hopped into bed, read her a story and said, "Baby, do you love me?" The little girl would say, "Yeah Daddy, you know I love you!" And Daddy would say, "If you love me, give me those pearls." At first she was shocked that her Dad would ask such a thing, then each night she began to negotiate, "Baby, do you love me?" "Yes Daddy, I love you!" "If you love me, give me those pearls." "Daddy, you know I love you, how about I give you my favorite Teddy Bear instead." Or she would say, "Daddy, you KNOW I love you, how about I give you my Barbi Doll!" Or she would say, remembering this was 1996 or so, "Daddy, how about I give you my Spice Girl!" Each night her Dad would say, "That's OK, you know Daddy loves you." and he would tuck her in and give her a kiss good night.
This ritual went on for many weeks, until one night her Daddy came in to find the little girl on top of her bed, not under the covers, crying. "Daddy," she said, "I love you. Here." And she handed her Daddy the green pearls she loved so much. He took them and put them in his pocket and pulled out a leather case and opened it. In the case were real, genuine, cultured pearls that were extremely valuable. He said, "Baby, I have had these all along, but in order to receive the good stuff, you had to let go if the Cheap Stuff." Moral of the story, what is the cheap stuff that we are holding on to that is keeping us from seeing Christ in others, that is keeping us from seeing Christ in ourselves. What cheap stuff do we hang onto?
Be well,
A+
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