Letting go...

>>> Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.
>>>
>>> One day when she and her mother were checking out at
>>> the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl
>>> necklace priced at $2.50.
>>>
>>> How she wanted that necklace and when she asked her
>>> mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said,
>>> "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an
>>> awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you
>>> the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a
>>> list of chores that you can do to pay for the
>>> necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday
>>> Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill,
>>> too.
>>>
>>> Okay?" Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl
>>> necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very
>>> hard everyday, and sure enough, her Grandma gave her
>>> a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny
>>> had paid off the pearls.
>>>
>>> How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them
>>> everywhere - to kindergarten, bed, and when she went
>>> out with her mother to run errands.
>>>
>>> The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower
>>> - her mother had told her that they would turn her
>>> neck green.
>>>
>>> Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went
>>> to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair
>>> every night and read Jenny her favorite story. One
>>> night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny,
>>> do you love me?"
>>>
>>> "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little
>>> girl said. "Well, then, give me your pearls."
>>>
>>> "Oh daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said! . "But y ou
>>> can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You
>>> gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you
>>> can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?" "Oh no,
>>> darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek
>>> with a kiss. "Good night, little one."
>>>
>>> A week later, her father once again asked Jenny
>>> after her story, "Do you love me?"
>>>
>>> "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you." "Well, then,
>>> give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But
>>> you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember
>>> her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you
>>> can play with it and braid it and everything. You
>>> can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little
>>> girl said to her father. "No, that's okay," her
>>> father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss.
>>> "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams." Several
>>> days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her
>>> a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip
>>> was trembling. "Here, Daddy," she said, and held out
>>> her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl
>>> necklace was inside. She let it slip into her
>>> father's hand.
>>>
>>> With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and
>>> with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue
>>> velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine,
>>> beautiful pearls. He had them all along. He was
>>> waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he
>>> could give her the real thing.
>>>
>>> So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for
>>> us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that
>>> he can give us beautiful treasure.
>>>
>>> Isn't God good?
>>>
>>> Are you holding onto things God wants you to let go
>>> of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary
>>> partners, relationships, habits and activities you
>>> have become so attached to that it seems impossible
>>> to let go?
>>>
>>> Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other
>>> hand but do believe this one thing.................
>>>
>>> God will never take away something without giving
>>> you something better in its place.