A Strand Of Pearls

Growing up, I used to watch the reruns of Leave it to Beaver on TV.
The show actually ran from 1957 to 1963.
By the time the show went off the air, I was only four years old.
At that time, I was too little to appreciate many of the plot lines.

The show went into syndication in the late 1960s.
It was then that I was able to watch most of the episodes.
The show centered around Ward and June Cleaver and their sons, Wally and Theodore.
Theodore was known as Beaver.

The character that always fascinated me was June Cleaver.
I did not know of any mother who looked like she did as they worked around the house.
When I grew up women wore dresses a bit more than today, but not all the time.
June was impeccably dressed and always wore a strand of pearls.

The the series was shot with a single camera on black-and-white 35 mm film.
There was a hollow in the actress’ neck that played June Cleaver which tended to cast a shadow.
Consequently, necklaces or high neck sweaters were required.
After a while, a strand of pearls became June Cleaver’s trademark.

I thought of that show today when a very sweet woman began to bag my groceries.
We actually bagged them together after I emptied the groceries from my shopping cart.
She was a tiny woman.
The cashiers were allowed to wear what they wanted instead of wearing their uniform shirt.

I noticed something this woman was wearing before I stood next to her.
She was wearing a single strand of pearls.
I admired them and told her how lovely she looked.
She smiled back and me and said, thank you, with a lovely accent.

As we stood side by side, bagging groceries together, I spoke to her.
Your accent is lovely; where are your from? I asked her.
I am from Chile, she said with an accent that sounded like music.
Well, I love your pearls; you add a touch of elegance to the store, I told her.

I could see that she was older than me.
How long have you lived here? I asked, wanting to know.
Thirty years, she responded.
Women dress differently here, she said.

In my country, I would match my shoes and my sweater to my skirt.
I always wear my pearls; they make me feel feminine, she said.
A woman did not go anywhere if she was not dressed nicely, she continued.
Well, I think you look lovely and add a much needed touch of elegance, I told her again.

I pushed my cart out of the store.
I smiled at a thought.
I just met June Cleaver, I said to myself.
The woman did add a touch of elegance, not because of her pearls but by her demeanor.

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went out and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44,45)

The pearls the woman wore did add a touch of elegance.
The pearls were special to her.
The pearls made her feel more feminine.
The pearls reminded her of her country and her life there.

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus used a pearl to illustrate the priceless kingdom of heaven?
In Jesus’ parable, a pearl of great value was found.
The man sold all he had in order to buy the field in which the pearl was found.
It is wise to relinquish the imitation in order to possess the real thing.

There was a little girl who had a set of fake pearls. This little girl loved her necklace more than anything she possessed. One night when her father was tucking her into bed he kissed her on the forehead then asked, “Do you love me?”  “Of course I do, Daddy. You know that,” the little girl squeezed his neck. “Do you love me enough to give me your pearl necklace?” he inquired. She didn’t understand. Why would her daddy want her to give up her necklace? Didn’t he know how much she loved those pearls? Several nights passed and each night her father would ask her the same question. “Do you love me more than that pearl necklace…Would you give it up for me?” One night when the Father entered the room the little girl was sitting up in bed waiting for him. She looked distraught, yet very determined. Her Father sat on the bed next to her. She looked up at him with tears streaming down her face, “Daddy, I do love you… I love you more than my pearls…” She opened her little hand and in it lay her prized possession. Her Father took those beads ever so lovingly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. The little girl opened the box and pulled out a beautiful strand of real pearls. The little girl smiled through her tears and hugged her daddy. These pearls were far more beautiful and precious than her fake beads. Her daddy had just been waiting for her to give up her fake ones. (author unknown)

I remember that story about the little girl who loved her fake pearls.
Her daddy wanted to know if she loved him enough to give up her prized possession.
It took the little girl a long time, but finally she relinquished her string of fake pearls.
Until she gave up what she held onto so tightly, her daddy could not give her something better.

Isn’t that the way it is with us?
We hold our possessions so tightly.
With our red knuckle grip we hold on, unwilling to relinquish them.
We hold onto costume jewelry, when our Abba, Father wants to give us the pearl of great price.

We hold onto the treasures of this world when our Abba, Father wants to give us heaven.
We hold onto the temporary, when our Abba, Father wants to give us what is eternal.
We cling to what is fleeting, when our Abba, Father wants to give us what is lasting.
We will not lay down what is false when the truth is right in front of us.

We are like the little girl holding tightly to her string of fake pearls.
We should be like the woman in the grocery store with her lovely strand of authentic pearls.
Now when I see her, I will not think of June Cleaver.
I will think of heaven, the pearl of great price.

Lovely.
Beautiful.
Authentic.
Lasting.

 

2 responses to “A Strand Of Pearls”

1. Beautiful! Pearls have always been special to me because they are my birth month jewel–June. Your thoughts about what God wants to give us if only we will release the less worthy things is spot on! We need to keep our minds on what is lasting (even if we enjoy wearing jewelry, which I do!) Truly Jesus is the pearl of great price.

   Reply

   • Sue,
     Isn’t it funny how the smallest thing can remind us of a greater truth? I think we all tend to hold onto the lesser things when our Abba, Father wants to give us the greater Thing, which is Himself.
     Gina

     Reply