A very special story

Subj: FW: [thekleins] A Very Special Story {01}
Date: 11/16/01 8:42:15 AM Central Standard Time
From: Lori.Ollila@globalcrossing.com (Ollila, Lori)
To: bncbrown@netzero.net (Brenda Brown (E-mail)), JNooyen@stvgb.org (Jackie
Nooyen (E-mail)), Kerrie.Kennedy@globalcrossing.com (Kennedy, Kerrie),
Lisa.Voelker@nsighttel.com (Lisa Voelker (E-mail)), mich888@aol.com (Michelle
Jostad (E-mail)), Michelle.Steinfeldt@globalcrossing.com (Steinfeldt,
Michelle)

-----Original Message-----
From: Rev. Carl Klein [mailto:kleinc@jps.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 11:40 PM
To: Ollila, Lori
Subject: [thekleins] A Very Special Story {01}

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

< <
< < The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls
<was almost five.
< < Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she
<saw them,
< < a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil
<box. "Oh please,
< < Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
< <
< < Quickly the mother checked the back of the little
<foil box and
< < then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her
<little girl's
< < upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost
<$2.00. If
< < you really want them, I'll think of some extra
<chores for you
< < and in no time you can save enough money to buy
<them for
< < yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you
<might get
< < another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
< <
< < As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny
<bank and
< < counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more
<than her
< < share of chores and she went to the neighbor and
<asked Mrs.
< < McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.
<On her
< < birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar
<bill and at
< < last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
<Jenny loved
< < her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown
<up.
< < She wore them everywhere, Sunday school,
<kindergarten,
< < even to bed. The only time she took them off was
<when she
< < went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if
<they
< < got wet, they might turn her neck green.
< <
< < Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when
<she was
< < ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing
<and
< < come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he
<finished
< < the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
< <
< < "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
< <
< < "Then give me your pearls."
< <
< < "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have
<Princess, the
< < white horse from my collection, the one with the
<pink tail.
< < Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very
<favorite."
< <
< < "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night."
<And
< < he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
< <
< < About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's
<daddy
< < asked again, "Do you love me?"
< <
< < "Daddy, you know I love you."
< <
< < "Then give me your pearls."
< <
< < "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby
<doll.
< < The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is
<beautiful
< < and you can have the yellow blanket that matches
<her sleeper."
< <
< < "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little
<one. Daddy
< < loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek
<with a gentle kiss.
< <
< < A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny
<was sitting
< < on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As
<he came
< < close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one
<silent tear
< < rolled down her cheek.
< <
< < "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
< <
< < Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little
<hand up to her
< < daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little
<pearl
< < necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said,
<"Here, daddy,
< < this is for you." With tears gathering in his own
<eyes, Jenny's
< < daddy reached out with one hand to take the
<dime-store
< < necklace, and with the other hand he reached into
<his pocket
< < and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of
<genuine
< < pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the
<time.
< < He was just waiting for her to give up the
<dime-store stuff so
< < he could give her the genuine treasure.
*****
< <
< < 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 treasures.
< <
< < Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that
<God
< < wants you to let go of. Are you holding on to
<harmful or
< < unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and
<activities that
< < you have come 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.
**********************************
< <
< < You can do two things with this story:
< < A. Pass it on and let others be touched by its
<message; or
< < B. Throw it away and not let it touch your heart.
< <

< < The greatest gifts happen when you share love and
<touch others
<'hearts!