Good morning…
In yesterday’s post, I had shared with you Sue Monk Kidd’s words, “Each moment of our day holds the possibility of encountering God’s love. I have tried to think of these moments as pearls strung on one holy string of God’s presence.”
All morning long, my mind continued her thinking about stringing daily pearls of God’s love. I named a few pearls. My husband Steve returning home from his ten day trip walking the Camino in Spain. Waking to the cuteness of Cami, our new puppy. Sipping coffee outside with her playing at my feet. Our son taking Cami into his quiet time, giving me a break from the constancy of caregiving. Texting with a few dog-loving friends who shared the wise support I needed.
Then during the monthly spiritual growth group in our home, I felt drawn to put in the center of my sand tray a miniature figure of a mermaid diving down deep to find a pearl of great value. (See the image above.) Continuing my active search, later in the day, I googled “How are pearls made?”
This answer popped up: “Pearls are created when an irritant, like a parasite or a food particle, gets inside a mollusk, such as an oyster or clam. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk coats the irritant in layers of a substance called nacre (mother-of-pearl), which is a mix of aragonite and conchiolin. Over time, these nacre layers build up to form a pearl.”
Pearls are created by an irritant? Something foreign, unwanted, unexpected. A nuisance or thorn, a frustration or annoyance. We don’t like these aggravating words. Yet, just like the natural process of creating a pearl of great value, God makes enduring beauty in the center of our souls. Adding layer after layer of His protective love, God can grow something one-of-a-kind in us when we are overwhelmed by a problem, a burden, a worry. Nacre, mother-of-pearl, is made of the same strengthening substance of the creature’s inner parts. Similarly with us, healing painful heartache over time, God’s love builds our inner strength, layer by layer by layer, forming within us a unique pearl of great value.
Jesus explains, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46, AMP). Searching for layers of God’s loving presence in our everyday lives, might we sell everything all that we have to invest wholeheartedly in the transformation of our innermost parts?
In researching more about how pearls are made, I found this fascinating video below. The sacred, serene images remind me of the teeming, untouched world lying beneath the surface of the pristine waters of the Galapagos Islands, an incredibly holy place where Steve co-led our trip this summer.
If unwanted pain might create our greatest gain, what could this “pearl” video teach us about layers of God’s strong, protective love?
…Sue…
P.S. Several of you have asked about Steve’s adult group travel schedule. Might you join us on one of these upcoming adventures?
