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| Marianne Evans |
My
husband and I are in the process of selling our home. An adventure, they say. Right-sizing,
they say. Well, had someone warned me about the work and emotion involved, I
might have applied the brakes and said, “No way, baby!” But God’s in control,
so on we go, and all kidding aside, I’m eager to explore this new season in our
lives!
One
of the treasures I uncovered as I sort and pack is a story I saved from over twenty
years ago. Its impact remains, so I wanted to share. The story is titled Foil
Boxes & Blue Velvet – Author, Unknown.
My
prayer is that it encourages you the same way it encouraged me.
~~~~~
“Oh,
please, Mommy. Can I have them?”
The
mother checked the back of the box then looked into the pleading eyes of her
daughter. “They’re almost two dollars. If you want them, I’ll think of some
chores for you, and in no time you’ll save enough money to buy them for
yourself. Your birthday is only a week away and you might get a dollar bill
from Grandma.”
As
soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her bank and counted out seventeen pennies.
After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor
and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma
gave her a crisp new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the
necklace.
Jenny
loved her pearls. They made her feel grown up. She wore them everywhere—Sunday
school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only place she didn’t wear them 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 loving daddy. Every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop
whatever he was doing and read her a story. One night, when he finished the
story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”
“Oh,
yes, Daddy. You know I love you!”
“Then
give me your pearls.”
“Oh,
Daddy, not my pearls. You can have Princess—the white horse from my collection.
She’s my favorite…but please, not my pearls.”
“That’s
okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” He brushed her cheeks with kisses.
A
week later, after story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, “Do you love me?”
“Daddy,
you know I love you!”
“Will
you give me your pearls?”
“Oh,
Daddy, not my pearls. You can have my doll—the brand new one I got for my
birthday. She’s beautiful, and you can even have her little yellow blanket.
Please, Daddy, not my pearls.”
“That’s
okay, honey. Sleep well and God bless you. Daddy loves you.” As always, he
brushed her cheeks with gentle kisses.
A
few nights later, at story time, Jenny sat on her bed. When Daddy came close,
he noticed her chin trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What’s
the matter, Jenny?”
Jenny
didn’t say anything but lifted her hand. There rested her little pearl necklace.
“Here, Daddy. It’s for you.”
Tears
gathered in his eyes as Jenny’s Daddy reached out with one hand to take the
dime-store necklace and with the other hand reached into his pocket and pulled
out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls. He gave the case to
Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was simply waiting for her to give up imitation
jewelry for genuine treasure.
So
much like our heavenly Father.
Be
blessed, friends, and may you always rejoice in the genuine treasure of Christ!
~~~~~
Click to Tweet!
~~~~~
Olivia
is dedicated to preserving the life she’s known and always treasured at her
grandparent’s home high on a bluff overlooking the pristine waters of Avalon.
With their blessing, she’s turned the expansive piece of property into a
quaint, restful bed and breakfast.
But
developers are circling—and they’re led by none other than Aiden Balfour.
Now
an ambitious businessman, he’s determined to turn the lake into a tourist
mecca. A successful business owner, Olivia is equally determined to stop
him...no matter what his hold on her heart.
Can
the innocent joy and love of their youth be reclaimed? Can Then…and now…ever be
reconciled to a future overflowing with love, and hope?
~~~~~
Then
& Now is part of Pure Amore, a Christian New Adult imprint and book of the month subscription service. Find out more at Pelican Book Group!
~~~~~
Marianne Evans
is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction with over
twenty titles to her credit. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message
of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create.
Happily married
and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is
active in a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the
Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.
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