A Pearl of a Situation....

Morning all!
     Have you ever heard how an oyster makes a pearl?  I am sure you have, but please allow the homeschool mom in me to review it with you.  The oyster gets the tiniest bit of irritant in its "mouth" and it bugs the oyster.  I mean it bothers it and festers and in my mind drives the oyster crazy! Much like a splinter.  So the oyster produces a substance to cover the irritant in order to get some relief and try to protect itself.  It coats this irritant over and over until a gorgeous, beautiful pearl is formed.  It is funny to me that pearls can cost so much.  That they are worth so much all from what the oyster went through.
     Why the animal science lesson on this rainy Monday morning?  Well I feel like that oyster.  Things or people just bothering me, irritating me, bugging me, driving me crazy....do you get what I mean?  So much so that I have found myself on more than one occasion asking, even begging God to remove these people or things from my life.  Kind of like making them go "poof"  But the truth is God uses "testy" people and trials in our lives to act as an irritant to us.  That way, if we submit and allow the Holy Spirit to coat that area of our lives we will have something worthwhile in the end to offer up to a Holy God and something beautiful to attract a lost world.  And boy is it costly at times!  I am a confessed people pleaser.  I HATE conflict and really try to avoid it.  But the older I have gotten I realize all conflict can't be avoided and must persevere and let God work in me and through me.  Sometimes I have a tendency to shut down around those who rub me the wrong way.  I clam up! (Ha, I made a funny)  Avoiding or clamming up is not going to bring God glory.  Nor will it show these "testy" people God's grace and love.  I have been learning so much lately from God about Himself and now it seems I am in the middle of an exam.  Will I show others all I have learned and love more, give more, serve more?  "But Lord not them" I have said "They are much much to hard"  But He has replied over and over "Yes them, especially them"  I will be honest I have pouted and rolled my eyes and even growled at the Lord's response.  (Not a wise thing to do with the ruler of the Universe)  But in the end I must bow my knees and my heart to His authority and let Him turn these irritants into pearls in my life.  The only way to do this is to constantly be before HIm in prayer and in His word.  My prayer this week is that as the irritants come (and they always do) that we would let the Holy Spirit produce what is necessary to cover and coat the situation.  Then at the end of our week, months even at the end of our life produce one big beautiful necklace to toss at His feet.
     James 1:2-4  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything...
From one oyster to another,
Carrie