The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. > >Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of >glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. > >"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
> >Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked >back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. > >"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll >think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money >to buy them for yourself. > >Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar >bill from Grandma." > >As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 >pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went >to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for >ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill >and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. > >Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. > >She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. > >The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble >bath. > >Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green. > >Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, >he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

>One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" > >"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." > >"Then give me your pearls." > >"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from >my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you >gave me. She's my very favorite." > >"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her >cheek with a kiss. > >About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do >you love me?" > >"Daddy, you know I love you." > >"Then give me your pearls." > >"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one >I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket >that matches her sleeper." > >"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy! loves you." > >And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

> >A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed >with her legs crossed Indian style. > >As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear >rolled down her cheek. > >"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" > >Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. > >And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little >quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you."

> >With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one >hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached >into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine >pearls and gave them to Jenny. > >He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the >dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with >our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in >our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. > >Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go >of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, >habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems >impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other >hand but do believe this one thing > >God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

This right here is something I found funny... I lost something but look wha tI got in its place..