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Beautiful Pearls
By Felix | September 1, 2008
After chatting with one of my friends from back in my street days, the inspiration to write this post came up and I really hope it will make a difference to someone out there, funny enough the chat didn’t last up to five minutes, but the reason why I had to write just hit me.
He made realize again, how difficult it is to leave the street life or should I call it the fast lane and face the realities of life or should I say take responsibility and do something worthwhile with one’s life. In fact, I can apply this story to most circumstances people face on a daily. We hold on tight to what we have believing God for a better life or something better and not knowing that, sometimes we need to let go of what we have so God can give us something much better.
The chat went as thus, he asked how I was coping with work, and also went on to say in his words… “E no easy at all for street dis days ooo!” that’s Pidgin English, means; it’s not easy for boys on the street. I simply told him, because they refused to quit the game (as we used to refer to it). And he said “surely someday they’ll all quit, and that quitting at the right time is the best”, that’s when I asked the fundamental question, “when will be the right time?” Surely he had a ready answer for me like I used to have back then… “Only God Knows”, and added “Bcos He promise to direct my way in life!”.
That’s when it hit me, how we keep expecting God to spoon feed us or better still come down from heaven to direct us before we know he has given us direction… the dialogue continued as thus… I told him “he has already directed you, its left for you to follow the direction” and he asked… “Where be the way?” in meaning where is the direction?.
I might not have the perfect answer, as I didn’t then, but I felt this story below might be able to let him know and a lot more out there, that most often times, God needs you to play your own part so he can bless you beyond your dreams… enjoy the story
Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I’ll tell you what. I’ll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don’t forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?” Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.
Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!
Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story. One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you,” the little girl said.
“Well, then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?”
“Oh no, darling, that’s okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one.”
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me?” “Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.”
“Well, then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, “Daddy,” the little girl said to her father.
“No, that’s okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.”
Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. ” Here, Daddy,” she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.
So it is with GOD. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so he can give us beautiful treasure.
Isn’t God good? I left the streets over a year ago and since then I have been basking in his glory I remember how lost and empty I used to feel from having a purposeless life, today not only did God bless me financially when I left the life of lies and deceit, but he has also added wisdom to me to know that it was for the purpose of change that He blessed me and I could light other candles by showing them that the most important thing was to trust in Him and do the right thing. Really what it will take for God to bless anyone is total trust in Him, when I left the streets, I had no idea how I was going to cope, but I knew to look unto Him and not unto man.
This story and the chat also made me think about the things I might still be holding on to and wonder what God wants to give me in its place.
Topics: Streets Skills, change, choice, life lessons |
September 1st, 2008 at 7:47 pm
WONDERFUL POST… and soooooooooo true. I most of all THANK GOD for your change.. im very proud of you, i have watched you grow from a boy scamming to a MAN with dignity and pride, keep up the great work love..this is only the beginning of all that he has for you.. xxx hagd suga xxx
September 1st, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I knew you had it in you. Keep shining the light. It’s something for us all to think about.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi Felix, Nice post and I really appreciate the fact that the whole idea started from our conversation. I have just two question’s have been asking myself and this are the question’s.
1. Where do I start from as unemployed street boy with a family that is looking up to me to make a living?
2. I have no Kobo in my bank account and no opportunity apart from the ones i get as a street boy. No family or friend to assist not to talk of helping you.
What is the forward…
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Here we are again with your inspiring story…I must confess to you that recently i’ve been siting like am umpire watching life like God does. I realized the most of us (me as an example) have been holding unto somethings that are little to what God has for us. I’ve been chasing more of things and less of relationship with God…I have treasured some things more than the beautiful treasure God has for me…Thank God i have realized my lessons…Here i am back on my feet again so to speak…Thanks for this..
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
@ Weapon…I want to say in answer to your ques
1. Start from God…like Felix pointed out in this post. From there you can discover what He has for you. This will translate to greater things that you know not.
2. There are opportunities out of the street only if you could look up and look ahead. It only starts with a genuine taste of God for you to see them. People are ready to help than you ever know…
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
@debra and shola: thanks for believing in me, i know with God, a lot more grounds will be covered.
@weapon: i know your questions are sincere, how about we have a one on one in my office, there are lots of things you can do… but the truth is you have to be willing to start from the beginning like i did… it might be rough at first, but later with His grace we’ll get there… Remember we cant keep blaming the society and our circumstances for our misgivings… there is always a better way to achieving our dreams and goals and if i could do it, who says you can’t.
Lets talk…be expecting you on Friday.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
@jesusfreak: thanks for you support, and i hope the post really does it for you too… cheers
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
God is good indeed brother and this post has also put me in a search hunt for things God wants me to let go
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:42 am
@Felix
Thanks for yours too…
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Dear JesusFreak, Thanks for your comment and your answer’s to my questions. I know what you mean but how to go about it is another problem I will not lie to you either will I lie to myself. I am willing to give up whatever I am doing now that God want me to give up only if I know what they are and where to start from from according to Felix. Honestly I am doing this because I feel it’s now time to get a life,I mean a better life than the one I am living now not because of anybody or the fact that things are not easy as they are back in the days on the street. Believe me! Thou street is hard now and days and this fact will not remain like this till the end of time because they are season for everything I believe.And according to the bible no condition is permanent. Let leave all this aside for now my dear friend JesusFreak. Felix could you please send me a text with your office address and a time to come around so that we can continue from where will stop our discussion and try to work on our way forward. Cheers!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
@Weapon…
Thanks…I understand every…Your meeting with Felix should be effective and efficient…I’ll see you shinning as a star and as light for others out in the street too…Love you
September 4th, 2008 at 4:39 am
@weapons,
Keep you head up and you will move forward…make a mends with those you wronged if at all possible.. you have nothing to lose here and all to gain … succesful people are that way because they never gave up.. dont give in no matter the trial,, stand strong on your commitment and you will shine.. i have all the faith in the world that Felix will do his best to guide you in the right direction.. trust in God always even through your trials and he will pull you out.. my prayers are with you… be well pray often n love always…. remember this…every good deed is a chain reaction of good.. we show by example and your change will change another and so on thus that chain of good.. hagn.. wink
September 4th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Hey!!! bin away 4too long lol…hence ive missed d inspirational convo out here..nontheless dearest felix…is kul bin bk!! d gud pat is i wont be feelin ur beef anymore 4 bin away..even if we got to c steady durin my long vac in lag..o boi was kul goin bk memory lane..as 4 u..m bk full tym n wld follow up on d adventure..
PEACE N A FIST SUGAR!!
September 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
O sleeper, Wake up and Christ will shine on you.” We are going to err in our ways. The question is, once we know we have made a mistake before God, do we make the necessary adjustments that will allow Him to intervene on our behalf? And will we avoid the same course of action in the future? God says that if we do, He will pour out His Spirit on us and bless us beyond our own understanding
@ Weapons,
Why simply talk about desiring change but never take the necessary steps needed for change.” Start now the process of changing ur situation for the better, cry out to the Lord for a way and he will answer u.
September 15th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Intresting post!! nice 1..tell u somefin dearest!!i was proud of dis inner man i saw in u way b4 d street moves!!i saw dis man full of mistakes but who hoped deep inside of him for some sort of redemption..a certain redemption!!he knew wld come to him someday but had no idea when,why n how!! Today..i burn wif pride knowing ive bin a witness to dat redemtion,maturity n responsibilty u accepted as they came knockin on ur door..
Through the power of God’s indwellin spirit you can always make a difference!!NEVA 4GET DAT..
NUFF LUV BRO!!