The Treasure, adapted from a story by Alice Gray as printed in "More Stories for the Heart"
There’s a story I like about a little girl who fell in love with a string of plastic pearls. She had saved up all her money to buy these plastic treasures. After she bought them, she wore those pearls everywhere. She wore them to Sunday School, to kindergarten, even to bed. She only took them off when she took a bath or when she went swimming.
This little girl had a daddy who loved her very much. He tucked her into bed every night and read her a story. One night when 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 favorite.” “That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About once a week her daddy would ask her the same thing, “Do you love me?” and “Would you give me your pearls”. Every time she would offer to give him something else. Finally one night the little girl was sitting on her bed with tears running down her cheeks. With a little quiver, she finally said, “Here, Daddy. It’s for you.” With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind 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 had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
We get so attached to the things of the world. We are so reluctant to give them up.
Abram had learned to say “no” to the King of Sodom. He traded in the old pearls.
What he got in return was far greater.