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Keeping Focus May 2011 |
Do you ever sense that you are going through the same trial over and over again? Do you feel as if you’re stuck on the same lesson, wondering if you’ll ever learn it
so you can move on? Take heart. Perhaps you are making a pearl.
In order for a pearl to develop, an irritant has to get inside the oyster’s shell, usually while it is open and exposed to its surroundings. The invasive particle is so foreign to the inside of the oyster that it automatically kick starts a protective process, secreting a substance that encases the irritant. This forms the basis of the pearl. The longer the irritant lingers within the shell, the more valuable the pearl becomes. The moral of the story is this: the formative value of trials is often directly proportional to the duration of the crucible. Translation: like a crock pot that takes all day to cook the meal, the resulting flavor can be worth the wait. The longer and more heated the trial, the greater the likelihood that we learn from it and the lesson sticks – a lesson that becomes a part of our message to others. Now I know it’s tempting to respond to this insight much like Scrooge might: Bah-humbug! But at least you have something to show for all the irritation – pearls of wisdom to display to others. Maybe that’s where the author of Proverbs got the idea of wisdom being a jeweled necklace adorning our neck (Proverbs 1:9). If you string enough of these pearls together, you can see how God takes our unbeautiful moments – stubbornness, pity-parties, worrisome episodes – and turns them into a lovely adornment in our life. Makes you think twice about that irritant, doesn’t it? 288 words To view more 'Keeping Focus' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
