Pearl of PatienceHaving oysters for dinner in the family as a young boy, Mama teased and said to me, “Did you know that pearls came from oysters? I will give you a prize if you find one.” Obviously I didn’t find any.
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From research, the odds are a single pearl out of 12,000 oysters that you would be lucky to find. Unlike gemstones which are cut and shaped, a natural pearl starts as a foreign object, such as a parasite or grain of sand, that lodges in an oyster’s soft inner body. As an irritant causing pain, the oyster takes defense by secreting a smooth and crystalline substance called “nacre” which forms layers covering the object. And the longer it stays and not expelled from body, the process of secreting “nacre,” will continue, thus rounding it, layer by layer. Hence, as time goes by, a beautiful pearl is formed.
Silly as it may be, but I have always resembled myself as an oyster falling into various trials. As long as trials keep coming forth, time after time, I realize that patience is the end result of faith. When someone sees you as a patient person, you stand out, become admirable, and set yourself as a good example. You shine; you become beautiful like a pearl, the result of patience. |