(September 20, 2024) Mama Lava shares some precious insights…

Are you familiar with the origins of pearls? I admit I was a bit mistaken in what I thought I knew.

Did you know it’s not a scratchy bit of sand which typically begins the process? A pearl is more commonly a mollusc’s defensive reaction to a parasite.

Natural History Museum informs us that —
‘Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the irritant and protects the mollusc from it. When pearls are cultured commercially an irritant is manually inserted into a mollusc to promote the production of mother-of-pearl. Nacre can form naturally around almost any irritant that gets inside the shell, creating some very unique and precious pearls.’

I’ve been reading about them and finding applications for my life, particularly in the area of prudence! (Prudence: Ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters. merriam-webster.com).

Prudence Pearl 1 — Hope
There are many characteristics which affect the value of a pearl, not the least of which is its size. How do some pearls grow larger than others? I looked it up and learned the diameter of a pearl can be affected by these three things:

1) The type of mollusc which hosts it.
2) The duration of time it is given to grow.
3) The size of the irritant which causes its formation.

Irritation: Am I the type of host who can turn irritation into something of value? Can I patiently endure for as long as necessary? Will my faith increase to match the size of the trial? Will I allow God to turn adversity into something beautiful in my life?

Frustration: It happens! It comes in all shapes and sizes. And it always lasts longer than I wish.

Endurance: When the hardships of life seem too overwhelming to endure, remember the pearl’s premise: The greater the discomfort the more valuable the treasure. Problems can seem tough in the moment, but God is cultivating something beautiful in you. And the result will be rare and precious; proven character with hope which will never disappoint.

And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that—

• Affliction produces endurance.
• Endurance produces proven character.
• Proven character produces hope.

This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

Prudence Pearl 2 — Value
My husband Michael went to Tahiti on business many years ago. I don’t know whether it was the timing of his visit or if it is always this way, but he found Tahitian black pearls scattered on the beaches and in the streets. When he asked about them, he was told there were too many pulled from the oysters there, and they were not considered valuable unless they met certain criteria. The rest were discarded by the wayside.

(Tahitian black pearl)

He found a vendor who put these free pearls in simple settings for a nominal fee, and had a necklace made for me. When he returned home, and presented the small box, I gasped! I assumed he’d spent a fortune because black pearls were rare in my part of the world.

The second pearl of prudence is this: Scarcity creates value. When something is difficult to find, it becomes special. What examples come to mind? Vintage treasures? Limited edition collectibles? Here’s one: Godly character. When you come across it, you notice, don’t you? How refreshing it is to encounter someone surrendered to Jesus in a world of people living for themselves!

My friends, does this describe us? Think about it with me. What if you and I were to fully embrace Christ-likeness? What if we—

• List God’s instructions in our thinking with such conviction that we could not be deterred?
• Love so sincerely that we truly overlooked offenses?
• Live so genuinely selfless that we habitually turned the other cheek?
• Let the Holy Spirit be so active through us that to be around us was to undeniably be in the presence of God?

Talk about a priceless oddity! Christians who sincerely live out their faith are rare and attract attention for their king. They inspire people to curiosity. They bring people to Christ.

Our willingness to allow Jesus to cultivate His character in us puts this truth on display. Scarcity creates value. It is a simple pearl of prudence, but it provides powerful food for thought!

‘One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet’ (Proverbs 27:7).

How big would a pearl need to be to convince you to trade everything you have to own it? It seems like a strange question, because you can’t drive a pearl, live in one, or eat one. What would you do with a huge pearl? Why would you want it? Do think about this.

Prudence Pearl 3 — Treasure
A Bible parable goes like this: ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it’ (Matthew 13:45-46).

Have you ever read that passage and wondered why Jesus made that connection? I find it difficult to relate to, in the sense of wanting a priceless pearl. But I do hold the kingdom of heaven in that regard and I’m willing to trade everything I have for the promise of heaven. Everything I possess — up to and including my life — I consider a fair price.

Why? Because what I have here is finite and what I am offered is infinite. What I have here is perishable; what I am promised there is eternal.

God has incorporated pearls into the celestial city He has prepared for His people. John had his vision of heaven and shared this: ‘The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl’ (Revelation 21:21a).

Talk about pearls of great value! How spectacular those must be. And they are just a fragment of the beauty to be found there.

So, while I don’t connect with the desirability of a pearl on earth so precious I’d give everything for it, I love that it is written in scripture in this context. Every time I see a pearl, I am reminded of heaven. I remember that I have been given the ultimate gift. And I treasure it.

God doesn’t require our homes, cars, jewels or sentimental trinkets in exchange for everlasting life! He doesn’t require us to sell all we have to obtain eternity in heaven! But He does ask us to hold ‘things’ loosely. And why wouldn’t we? Our life on earth is but a vapor. What inconvenience would we not suffer for a little while in exchange for a forever’s worth of comfort?

Jame wrote poignantly: ‘Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring — what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes’ (James 4:14).

If I had to boil down this third pearl of prudence, I’d put it like this: Nothing is more valuable to me than the citizenship I’ve been granted in heaven; for it is the foundation of my hope, the reason for my peace, and nothing I own can incite a joy that compares.

‘The person who strays from the way of prudence will come to rest in the assembly of the departed spirits’ (Proverbs 21:16).

My friends, we will all enter eternity. What we’ve decided to value here on earth will determine where we spend it. Where is your treasure?

‘Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matthew 6:19-21).

Do let me know if these insights have blessed you.

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Mama Lava delights to share openly and honestly from her heart. She sincerely believes in making the big world a bit smaller through caringly connecting, that Jesus wants to remove our anxieties and give us His joy. In her encouragements, Mama Lava regularly tells of life experiences from an unapologetically Christian viewpoint. Link: Mama Lava’s Back Porch (Doses of Maternal Love).
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