A Trampled Pearl
A wife was given on her wedding day a heirloom of pearl earrings from her husband that used to belong to his mother. They were the wife’s most prize possession because of the sentiment behind them. After a long evening of entertaining guests she falls asleep. The next morning she discovers she is missing one of the earrings. Panic grips her causing her to tear the house apart in search of this valuable treasure. When her husband walks in on a tornado scene he calmly helps her trace her steps back in search for the earring.
The husband finds the pearl buried in the sand. At a closer examination he could tell the footprints and wind had buried the pearls. The husband takes the situation as an opportunity to teach his wife a valuable lesson on her worth.
The woman comes from a past of being sold into prostitution by her father at a young age and men using her till they got their pleasure from her.
The husband said to his wife that she should leave the earring in the sand because it has been trampled on and is dirty. He comments that it’s worthless. She says that it just needs washing and care.
What represents great worth to you?
Would you leave it buried?
If not, why wouldn’t you?
(Hold that item in your mind.)
Do gold or pearls become less precious if they’re beat for wear?
You are the Pearl
Have you been abused emotionally or physically by yourself or others? Do you recognize yourself in one or more of the following statements?
- You weren’t seen for your worth alone, but in performance in school, activities, beauty and/or job
- You were sexually molested by a family member, date raped, and/or you had premature sex
- You are weighed down by shame of past mistakes you have made
- You are ashamed of messing up but also don’t want to stop (porn, masturbation, food, addiction)
- You were/are physically harmed by someone close to you: parent, sibling, boy/girlfriend, spouse
- You are constantly stressed because you are always shooting for perfection, you forbid anything less than perfect from yourself
Have you heard we are our own worst critics? Other people are not thinking the worst of us as much as we do. We give people too much credit. Yes, sometimes the case is us being abused by another person but at the end of the day, shame is shame. Abuse starts to bleed poison in your mind that the harm that was done to you makes you feel trashy and worthless. I don’t expect this post to magically cure you but hopefully bring remembrance of your worth or give you a step towards healing.
Would You Throw Gold Away?
Jewels don’t loose their value and you don’t lose value God’s eyes. You were fashioned by God, the creator of the universe. “You may have been stepped on by many others, but that has not changed who and what you are: a child of God, made in His image.” When other’s don’t appreciate your worth, and abuse you, it’s their loss in not finding treasure. It’s “like throwing gold in the dirt and walking away from it, the loss is theirs.” I leave you with this, you, “…never lose the value you were born with.”
You are worth much and are worth being treated well by yourself and others. Don’t settle for less.
Find the Pearl You Were Meant to Be:
5 SIMPLE Steps to being Freed from Shame
- Read the book Released from Shame
- Get plugged into a group; we were designed to do life in community: a small group at a church or support group with others struggling with the same issues (If your a woman I recommend Mending the Soul)
- Find an accountability partner or mentor
- Believers: pray and spend time in God’s word
- Speak truth over yourself: You’re a gift to God. Your mistakes have been paid in full. You are not condemned. You have been rescued from darkness.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
What item came to your mind earlier that would be devastating if it was buried and never found? If your not a believer, how do you find your worth in this broken world?
Some of the ideas, quotes and the scene mentioned above are a summary from this book, “Pearl in the Sand” by Tessa Afshar. I would highly recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
SMILE You are the Pearl
Smiles taken in Krabi, Thailand
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