Are You Strong Enough To Give Up What You Love ?

Aisha was a cute, blue-eyed seven year old girl.
One day Aisha went grocery shopping with her mother. There she saw an artificial pearl bracelet priced at 3 pounds. Aisha fell in love with that bracelet and badly wanted to have it. So she asked her mother if she could buy it for her. Her mother told Aisha, “Well, it’s a beautiful bracelet, but looks very expensive. Anyway I will buy it for you but you got to promise me that you will do some chores of the house in order to pay for the bracelet.”

After reaching home Aisha’s mother prepared a list of things Aisha should do. Aisha worked very hard every day to complete the chores her mother asked her to do. Soon Aisha paid off the pearl bracelet.

Aisha loved the bracelet very much. She always wore it to school, bed, grocery store, friends’ and relatives’ place. The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower as her mother had told her that they would turn her wrist green.

Aisha had a very loving father. When Aisha went to bed, her father would get up from his cosy chair and read her bedtime stories every day. One night when he finished the story he said “Aisha, do you love your daddy ?”

“Of course I love you, Daddy”, the little girl said.

“Well then give me your pearls”, Daddy said

“Oh no, Daddy, not my pearls please! You can have my favourite doll you gave me on my last birthday and you can have her party outfit too okay?” said Aisha.

“That’s all right honey I don’t need your doll” Her father kissed her forehead. “Good night, honey” he said and left the room.

A week later, her father once again asked Aisha after reading her story, “Do you love your Daddy?”

Aisha said, “Of course, Daddy you know how much I love you.”

“Okay then give me your pearls”, said Father.

“Oh no Daddy not my pearls please! You can have my kitchen play set. It is so big. I am sure you will love to play with it and also make tea for yourself if you want to” said Aisha

“That’s okay, honey” said the father and kissed her forehead “Good night, little one, God bless you” and left the room.

Several days later when Aisha’s father entered her room to read her bedtime story, Aisha sat on the bed sad. “Take this Daddy” she said and held out her hand which contained in it her favourite pearl bracelet. She gave it to her father. With one hand her father held the artificial pearl bracelet and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a beautiful black velvet pouch. Inside the pouch were real, genuine, beautiful exquisite pearls.

He had them all along, but was only waiting for Aisha to give up the cheap artificial stuff so he could give her the real thing.

Aisha’s eyes lit up with joy. She told, “Daddy, these are so beautiful and so shiny, thank you very much Daddy” She hugged him and then ran away to show it to her mother.

Moral Of The Story

Same is true with us. God is waiting for us to give up small things so He can give us great things. Think about it are you holding on to things that are useless and unimportant which God wants you to let go of, but you are not letting it go because you are so attached to it. It could be anything like unnecessary relationships, habits, activities, people etc. You love a thing, but it might not be good for you. God alone knows it, but you know not. So trust God and always be ready to give up what you love most.

Always remember
If God takes something you love away from your life, He’s not punishing you, He is merely emptying your hands for you to receive something better.