The Pearl

Originally written as a submission on FaithWriters.com for the weekly challenge topic 'rich,' it is real.  It took a while to move through the phases of grief, but God is faithful and propelled me forward in His timing.  You won't find much humor in this one.  You will find a heart bare with emotion.  I pray you find your hope in Jesus as you read about this widow who realizes a grit of irritation produces a pearl in nature.  She compares this to her loss and how she is being refined during this season of life.


I gaze longingly at a distant horizon, one lost in the haze of memory. I do not notice the coppery topaz sky over mountains, the soft gray and peach of polished jasper. The vivid ruby and carat rich golden glow of sunset captures me in a perfect setting. I remember the ring of promise.

Morphing to a crisp fall day, I recall the emerald grass near the rushing water of a stream as I commit myself to a life with the man of my dreams. Our past washes away like the garnet red maple leaf twisting in the current. Our now, glowing amber with the warmth of true love, we revel in the newness. Our future, an opal mist of possibility, fills us with barely contained excitement. Once separate dreams join in a kaleidoscope of jewels, crowning us for growing old together. He calls me beautiful, his princess. I tumble deeper into the treasure of his eyes, the circle of his arms.

A subtle shift of shadows, I find a world of onyx. The light disappears, lost in the corners of a heart broken with loss, cracked with uncertainty. Despair envelopes me in a tarnished cloak, heavy with grief. I search the world around me for a glimmer of hope to cut through the pain. My chest constricts with pitted bands of loneliness.

Like a ring tucked into a jewel box, the sun slips lower. The turquoise edges of the sky flow gently into sapphire twinkling with diamonds. I look down at my wedding ring. A ghost of a smile creases my face as joy polishes the tumbling oppressive thoughts. Crystal clarity, a unique necklace of peace with a platinum locket of hope settles against my heart.

The now amethyst sky glimmers with the rising silver moon. Chuckling softly, I wrap myself in surety of a reunion. Though widowed, I am not alone. As complex as I am, my logic is simple, my faith strong. The irritants of this life, the trials, temporary and fleeting, refine us. They circle and adhere, creating jewels. They turn us into treasured servants for Christ. Gazing up, I whisper a prayer.


Lord, Thank You for the time with my husband. Thank You for filling the hole in my heart with the richness of Your love for me. I pray I honor You as I move through this stage of life. I pray this time of refinement glorifies You. When I stand before You, I pray You find me a pearl. Amen.