Diving For Pearls

My first name means Pearl. And I'm trying to live up to my name by becoming beautiful, strong, and valuable when irritating situations enter my life.

But not only am I searching for pearls in the sense of searching for all the different aspects of my self or even in searching for others like me but also in the sense of searching for the pearls of everyday life...the amazing things that grow all around the dirt in our lives. I'm searching for pearls that are produced in the process of trying to protect ourselves from those irritants that feel so huge even though, with a different perspective, they can seem tiny. The pearls that result are always bigger than the irritants that begin them.

But sometimes the pearls are hard to find. There are times that we easily find a whole string of pearls in our house that we use to make a special occasion even better, but we (or someone we love) had to work hard for us to get even those pearls. Other times, we lose the pearls we already have. Maybe a friend that came during a trying moment is suddenly lost. We don't understand why...but if we search for a pearl even in that situation, we will find one. We may have to look beyond our house this time; it may take longer to find. We may have to go diving for pearls.

That's what this blog is about...the pearls I've had to search for or am still searching for.

It all comes down to searching for the kingdom of heaven--the greatest pearl--and realizing that it's so valuable that it's worth giving up everything for...and learning that it's worth the great pain it took to make it. Matthew 13:45-46