HIS
IS ACTUALLY SO TRUE AND SO BEAUTIFUL
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The cheerful 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 eyes of her little girl's
upturned face.
"One
rand ninety-five. That's almost R2.00. 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.
You might get some money from Grandma."
As
soon as Aysha got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted
out 17 cents. After dinner, she did more than her share
of chores and she went to the neighbour and asked Mrs. Kamaa
if she could pick Dandelions for ten cents.
On
her birthday, Grandma did give her another rand and at last
she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Aysha
loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown
up. She wore them everywhere - Madrassa, 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.
Aysha
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 when he finished the story, he asked Aysha, "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 favourite."
"That's
okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. And he brushed her cheek with
a kiss.
About
a week later, after the story time, Aysha'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 so
beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches
her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well 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, Aysha was sitting
on her bed with her legs crossed eastern-style. As he came
close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent
tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Aysha? What's the matter?" Aysha
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. It's for you."
With
tears gathering in his own eyes, Aysha's kind daddy reached
out with one hand to take the cheap 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 Aysha. He had them all the time. He was just
waiting for her to give up the cheap store stuff so he could
give her the genuine treasure.
And,
so is it with Allah. Allah is waiting for us to give up
the cheap things in our lives so that Allah can give us
beautiful treasures. Are you holding onto things which Allah
wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or
unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities
which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible
to let go of?
Sometimes
it is so hard to see what is in the other hand, but do believe
this one thing. Allah will never take away something without
giving you something better to take its place.