Goodbyes Aren't Easy

Today we said goodbye to a wonderful family. Our minister Steve and his family are being transferred to a new church this week. It is customary in the Methodist Church for a minister to move every few years. We have developed a close relationship with Steve over the years; he married John and I in 2007, welcomed us to our new home in 2010, and Christened Leighton this past January. We always look forward to his sermons and his jokes on Sunday morning, and I certainly had tears in my eyes today as we said goodbye.

Steve with our family at Leighton's Christening

Steve and Leighton

As always, Steve's message today touched home to me. I thought I would share the story he told, because it really shows God's love for us and the joy a relationship with Him brings to us and to those around us.

One day Jenny and her mother were shopping in a department store. Jenny stopped her mom because she saw a string of pearls that she loved. The pearls were plastic pearls and cost $1.95. Jenny asked her mother if she could have the pearls and her mother told her that she would be glad to give her a few extra chores around the house to help her save up for the pearls.

After about 2 weeks time, Jenny earned enough money to buy the pearls. Well, Jenny loved those pearls! She wore them everyday- to school, to church, to play...everywhere except the pool and the bathtub because her mother told her they would turn her neck green in the water :).

Now every night Jenny's father would read her a bedtime story. One night after her bedtime story her father said to her, "Jenny, I love you! Do you love me?" Jenny replied, "Of course I love you Daddy!". So her father said, "Then will you give me your pearls?". Jenny looked at her father, eyes wide, and said, "How about I give you my favorite pony!" Jenny's father said, "That's okay Jenny, I love you."

A weeks time passed, and Jenny's father was reading her a bedtime story. He said to Jenny, "Jenny, I love you! Do you love me?" Jenny replied, "Of course I love you Daddy!". So her father said, "Then will you give me your pearls?". Jenny looked at her father, and said, "I will give you my doll and my yellow blanket Daddy, but I just love my pearls so much!". Jenny's father replied, "That's okay Jenny, I love you."

Well, another week went by, and Jenny's father went to her room to read her a bedtime story. When he got to her room, he found Jenny sitting on the bed, and she looked sad. "What's wrong Jenny?" her father asked. Jenny said nothing, but reached into her pocked and pulled out the strand of plastic pearls and gave them to her father. A single tear dripped down her cheek. Her father then reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box. He opened it up and pulled out a beautiful strand of real pearls for Jenny.

You see, we often spend our time on earth holding onto our fake pearls...possessions, money, fame, social status, etc. If we would turn to God and let Him have control of our lives, he will give us our real pearls...happiness, love, comfort, and peace.

Thank you Steve for this message and for the Christian role model you have been to our church, our community, and most of all to my family. You truly are an example of how Jesus lived while he was on earth, and how he would like for us to live and love one another everyday!