pearls of relationship

 I value my people like pearls.  (If you haven't read what I wrote about pearls, you should stop and read that now.)  And like pearls, people require an investment of time and effort and responsibility.  I don't throw my strands of pearls on the floor to be walked on.  (The Bible talks about throwing pearls before swine.  Jesus was talking about pearls of wisdom, but I think His words apply here too.) I don't toss them in a drawer, lost and forgotten.  I care for them and keep track of them and I wear them often because I love them.  

We are guilty sometimes of choosing our relationships like costume jewelry.  They look good, but they aren't worth much.  There is no substance or value or hardship or time that formed them.  We don't invest time or effort or take responsibility for their care and growth.  They make us feel good and look good but when we are done wearing them we toss them on a table or in a drawer, forgotten until the next time we want their cheap sparkle.  

I want my relationships to adorn my life like my strands of pearls adorn my neck.  I want to invest time into them.  I want to get in the trenches with people when they are going through hard times, and create new pearls of friendship.  And honestly, I want friends who will do the same for me.  I'm seeking and investing in relationships that have substance and will become pearls of great value.

distracted

 I've been distracted by so many things.

Consumed with the need for human connection and affirmation.

Wanting to do something spectacular and Facebook-worthy.

Longing to be seen and heard and known.

Seeking purpose and validation.

Grieving deeply.

There is only one thing that really matters.

Jesus.

Fixing my eyes and my ears and my thoughts on Him.

Choosing obedience to Him.

Listening to His voice rather than my emotions.

Seeking Him above all the distractions.

Seeking Him to meet my needs.

Seeking Him for relationship.

Jesus.

When I live with open hands

When I live with open hands...

I cannot cling to people seeking comfort.

I cannot pick up things that are not mine to carry.

I cannot hit and fight and argue.

I cannot struggle for control.

I cannot hide.

When I live with open hands... 

I can receive what God has for me.

I can love and be loved.

I can live without fear.

I can be authentic and vulnerable.

I can live in freedom.

the pearl

 I love wearing pearls!  There is something about them that catches my eye.  Maybe it is their understated beauty: not flashy or sparkly like a diamond but unique and solid and pure.  For me, the fact that they come from a living thing is an added bonus.  

Oysters, clams, and mussels can all produce pearls.  It's a process that starts with irritation which would probably be classified as pain if the animals had a nervous system.  The mollusk itself is what we eat, but there is a layer just inside of the shell called the mantle.  The mantle secretes a substance called nacre which lines the inside of the shell and allows the shell to grow with the oyster.  The shell must be open so that the animal can eat, and in any water environment, a myriad of other materials can flow in at the same time.  If one of those foreign substances gets between the mantle and the shell, a pearl will be formed as the oyster covers it with layers of nacre to stop the irritation.

Pearls can be artificially stimulated when a pearl harvester opens the shell and makes a small cut in the mantle tissue, inserting an irritant in salt water or doing nothing else in fresh water.  Human caused pearl formations are called cultured pearls.  

I love wearing pearls because they are a symbol of strength and surviving to me.  Pearls come from facing the hard things in life and turning them into something beautiful.  Life can be difficult and painful as we go about the tasks of living in an evil world, but God can use those times to make something beautiful in us...something pure and strong and unique each time.  When the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, God still gives abundant life somehow.  God can work in all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  And He can make beautiful pearls as He protects us.