Wait for the Pearls

Yesterday in our staff morning prayer God gave me the word “Wait for the pearls” while I was praying about the boys. I kept praying on it and thought okay well how long does it take for a pearl to be made? So while everyone else was worshiping, I was googling the deets on pearls.

This is what stood out to me.

Natural pearls are formed when an irritant gets imbedded into the oyster. In protection, the oyster covers this irritant again and again with a coating - until eventually the tiny spec, the original irritant has been transformed into a valuable pearl. It takes at least three years to produce a quality pearl, but the process can be rushed - for the sacrifice of a lower quality pearl being the result.

I immediately thought of Genesis 50:20 where Joseph says “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” And then I just got this picture of our guys, kinders all the way to high schoolers, with their hands cupped together and pearls spilling over onto the ground around them - they had more than they could hold onto for themselves.

And then God put James 2:5 on my mind where it says “Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?”

What God is doing is going to take time - and we can try to rush it but there is purpose in the speed of the process. And what is God doing? He is making our boys rich. Not in trivial temporary wealth - in eternal unfading riches of faith. Every hurt that’s imbedded in their hearts, God’s covering again and again with healing love - making pearls out of pain.

Wait for the pearls.