Becoming a Pearl

     While preparing for a lesson, I came across an informative text simply entitled "Pearls." The piece was a very simplistic description of how a pearl is formed, but it reminded me that the irritating things in our lives that really get under our skin, the burrs that just won't let go, after a period of time can result in beautiful gems. When a small piece of organic material gets trapped between the shell and the soft tissue of an oyster, irritation occurs, and a substance called nacre is excreted, which encapsulates the irritant and daily adds layer upon layer, until what was the irritant becomes the pearl that we value so much. Just so are the hurts and bumps and bruises of our battered souls that get wrapped layer by layer in the grace of Christ until after enough time and pressure have occurred, we become treasured pearls--jewels He has created. It is so easy for us to forget who we are and why we are here in the urgency to escape from the torment of pain and discomfort. The irony of a pearl is that the thing that begins the irritation that causes the secretion that results in a pearl becomes the heart of the pearl itself. We, too, would distance ourselves from the things that could potentially cause us to grow the most--we resist becoming pearls of great price.
     Jesus speaks on the subject of pearls in Matthew 13:45-46. He compares the kingdom of heaven to a merchant who is looking for fine pearls and the merchant, "upon finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (NASB). Most of us aren't looking for pearls; rather, we are seeking to avoid pain and irritation at all costs, and in so doing, we may miss the pearl of greatest value--the kingdom of heaven. Becoming a pearl isn't easy, but the end result is a beautiful thing for those who endure the process.