Pearls

When many of our great, great-grandparents brought a new home for the first time, they remained in the same one for the duration of their lifetime.  A popular trend nowadays for younger couples is to buy a starter home then move into a bigger one as they advance in their careers.  However, there are countless people through out this country, if not the world, who are too destitute to even own a home.

In one of my all-time favorite songs, “Pearls” by Sade, the haunting lyrics tell the story of a Somalian woman “who lives a life she didn’t choose.”  It is a heart-wrenching tale of poverty and endless backbreaking work.  Some of the wording is as follows:

There is a woman in Somalia

Scraping for pearls on the roadside

There’s a force stronger than nature

Keeps her will alive

This is how she’s dying

She’s dying to survive

Don’t know what she’s made of

I would like to be that brave

She cries to the heavens above

There is a stone in my heart

She lives a life she didn’t choose

And it hurts like brand-new shoes

The captivating melody reminds me of what my mother has often said; “Someone else wish they had your problems.”   The challenge is how does a person step through the fog of their personal struggles in order to be a blessing to someone who is in a less fortunate situation than their own. By human nature, we are all selfish creatures. That’s why small children go through that phase where everything they want is, “Mine!” However, a wise parent teaches their child the importance of sharing. Many of us within the Body of Christ, still operate under the “Mine!” mindset when it comes to our God given blessings.   As long as the needs of our family are taken care of, who cares what anyone is going through.  “They should have made better choices,” I have heard some say. Fact is, in the majority of these scenarios this is very well the case.  But guess what, Beloved?  Even still our Heavenly Father instructs us to show love and compassion towards others.  Ephesians 4:32 KJV says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” This can sometimes be easier said then done.   No one wants to be taken advantage of, most certainly not me!  However, there are people who have a “real need,” not just a self-serving one.  There’s a big difference from the sister who wants tutoring assistance so she can pass her GED exams versus one asking for resources just so she can take care of a boyfriend while ignoring the needs of her children.

The good news is our Almighty God sees all!  He knows we don’t want be to used or taken for granted.  Which is why it’s so important to have a relationship with Him.  Only He, through the Holy Spirit, can reveal to us when we are being helpful or a hindrance.  Then and only then, will we be able to dissever those who are willing to work hard for the “Pearls” of a better life versus those who simply want them to be hand delivered.