That is when depression can set in. During those times, we need to sort of "take stock" of our lives and instead of thinking of our day-to-day problems and failures, try to take what I call an "eternal look" at what we are doing and where we are going...from God's perspective...  In the Bible, Jesus tells us the story of the merchant who found a pearl of great price. The merchant then sold everything he had to buy that pearl. * Have you ever wondered why that pearl had so much value?  What made it so valuable? Who is the merchant? Where is the pearl?

To answer those questions, lets do some research and find out how a pearl comes into being in the first place.  As we all know pearls come from oysters. But the only way an oyster can produce a pearl is to have a tiny grain of sand somehow put into the oyster’s flesh where it becomes the source of unending pain to the oyster.  We might compare the pain to that of a human toothache.  It is the kind of pain that just will not go away until something is done about it.   You see, an oyster with that kind of pain in its flesh has to find some internal way to relieve the pain. That is when the oyster begins the slow process of surrounding the grain of sand with a pain-relieving coating of a substance the oyster uses to make its shell. That substance is called nacre. **    As the oyster coats the grain of sand with nacre the pain is reduced and the oyster gets relief. But later, the pain caused by the nacre-coated grain of sand returns and the oyster must deposit many more layers of nacre in an effort to reduce the constant pain. This process continues over a period of months and years, during which time the once tiny grain of sand becomes, you guessed it, a perfectly round pearl.

As you know, every pearl has beauty that is: striking, shimmering, multicolored, iridescent and quite valuable.  In fact, a pearl is the only precious gem that is produced by something alive – an oyster.  Now, back to Jesus’ story of the pearl of great price, consider this:  The merchant is God. The pearl is you (and all the rest of us).   The “great price” is the price paid when the merchant (God) allowed his only Son, Jesus, to be crucified. Why?  To “purchase” God’s most valuable “pearl” – you! .” Once you understand this, you must do your best to live up to God’s expectations for you.  You see, God is very fond of you - and in his eyes; you are his most precious, most valuable - pearl of great price!   By: Terry L. Weber http://originalsbyweber.com   *(Mt.13: 45-46) **Definition: Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. This substance is called "mother of pearl" because it is literally the "mother", or creator, of true pearls. Nacre is found in certain ancient lineages of bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods. Pearls and the inside layer of pearl oyster shells and freshwater pearl mussel shells are made of nacre.

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