Be An Oyster!
My friend, Cathy, showed up one day sporting an eye patch. She’s a stellar athlete who has triumphed over hard-hitting competition, but thanks to a tiny grain of sand that scratched her cornea, she was kept on the sidelines, out of the action. A microscopic irritant grated against the delicate tissue producing redness and tears and would ultimately cause permanent destruction if not removed.
But take that very same grain of sand, that source of irritation to the eye, place it in an oyster, and something magical happens. When that irritant is caught inside the oyster’s shell, the oyster starts to secrete a substance called nacre. This substance coats the irritant and encapsulates it. According to Wikipedia, “Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is strong, resilient, and iridescent. This substance is called ‘mother of pearl’ because it is literally the ‘mother’, or creator, of true pearls.” What begins as an irritating annoyance is transformed. The insignificant grain of sand has become a valuable pearl.
It’s important to note that the irritant in the eye is exactly the same as the one in the oyster. What is different is the response! Scripture is clear that God allows tribulations in our lives. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The phrase, “you will have trouble” is sandwiched between “you may have peace” and “take heart. I have overcome the world!”.
If you have someone, or something, in your life that is a source of irritation, it can suck the joy and peace right out of you. Just the sight of that person can raise all sorts of emotions. Just the reminder of that difficult situation can cause physical responses such as tightening of the muscles, headaches, stomach pains … do I need to go on?
Like sand trapped inside an oyster, whatever your source of irritation, it can be transformed into a valuable pearl. You can be “strong, resilient and iridescent” (reflecting the light), receiving your irritation as the beginning of a beautiful transformation in your life. Surround the grain with beauty and grace. Forgive them for being themselves. They really don’t know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34) If you recognize that God allowed this person or situation for your benefit, you will be creating pearls!
Don’t let yourself be troubled by what really is a small matter compared to eternity! Allow that nuisance to bring about transformation – Christlikeness – the most precious, priceless, valuable quality you could ever possess.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:17-18
Thank you for this incredible reminder and encouragement today, Susan! 🙂 It was such a blessing to me and I am deff going to have to bookmark and save it to come back to often. It is so easy to focus on the wrong things in our suffering, like Peter only seeing the high raging waves in the storm instead of focusing solely on Jesus. And just like him walking on the water, when we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus instead on our difficulties, we sink. I am afraid I am too often guilty of doing exactly this. I thank you for the reminder to fix my eyes solely on Him, knowing and having faith that He alone can and will create beauty from ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, and cause us to be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He would be glorified! Lord, You know how much we dislike pain and like Jesus did, if it be Your will, we ask you to pass this cup from us. But if not, we want Your will to be done and not our own. We ask for the strength and ability to bear all pain and suffering in a way that honors You and ask that You would use it for our own and others ultimate good. Jesus, help us to be like oysters, and make pearls out of all the difficulties, suffering, and irritants of this life and to make us more into Your divine image, that we would do and be everything You created us to do and be, that we would glorify and honor You, In Your mighty name we pray, Amen!
Oh goodness, Susan. I so needed to read that…next time something or someone irritates me, I will remember the pearl.
Wonderful Post today! We all have someone or something that seems to suck the life out of us. But you are right, there is always beauty in what we deem useless. We just need to look for the pearls in our life.