Once upon a time there was a little girl named Jenny. She was a precocious child. But, after all, aren't most 6-year olds?

Jenny loved to go everywhere with her parents. She particularly loved to go shopping with her mother. One day after shopping through the whole store, and being very good not to wear her mother out with "get-me-this" or the "can-I-have-that," Jenny spied something on the last little rack at the checkout.

There in a little plastic bag with a paper stapled across the top with the brand name and the price tag was something definitely "to die for"! What Jenny saw was to her the most beautiful strand of fake plastic pearls in the whole world. She thought they must be the most beautiful jewelry she had or ever would see.

"Oh, please, Momma, can I get these pearls?" she pleaded passionately.

"How much are they?" Momma asked.

"$1.99," she responded, confident that they were definitely in her price range.

"Don't you still have the $2 Grandma gave you for your birthday last month?" Momma reflected.

"I sure do! Can I use it? Can I use it? Please! Please!"

"Yes, you MAY," said Momma.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! I'll keep them forever! Aren't they the prettiest, Momma?"

Well, Jenny took them home and put them on and stared and stared into the mirror. Then she decided she needed to match her wardrobe to her pearls, so she got out the dress-up clothes box and got Momma's prettiest old dress and prettiest old hat and spent hours admiring herself.

"The pearls definitely make the outfit," she affirmed.

One night Jenny's dad, who was a loving and kind man, came into her room, as he did every night, to read a "nighty-night story" and say "nighty-night prayers." Except this night after story and prayers he lovingly looked Jenny right in the eye and asked,

"Jenny, do I love you?"

"Oh yes, Daddy! You love me with all your heart!"

"That's right. And do you love me?"

"Oh, yes, Daddy, I love you with all my heart!"

"I want you to give me your pearls," Daddy said with love in his voice.

"Oh, no, Daddy! Not my pearls! I'll give you my dolly. You know how much I love my dolly, but I'll give it to you. But just not my pearls."

"It's OK," said Daddy. "I love you! Get a good night's sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

A few nights later after story and prayers, Daddy again asked Jenny,

"Do I love you?"

"Oh, yes, daddy! You love me with all your heart!"

"Do you love me?"

"Oh, yes, Daddy! I love you with all my heart!"

"I want you to give me your pearls," Daddy said with love in his voice.

"Oh, no, daddy! Not my pearls! I'll give you my teddy bear. You know how much I love my teddy bear, but I'll give it to you. But just not my pearls."

"It's OK," said Daddy. "I love you! Get a good night's sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

A few nights later, as Daddy went into Jenny's room for story and prayers, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her hands cupped together, reaching out toward Daddy.

"Here, Daddy," Jenny said softly. And she lifted one cupped hand off the other to reveal her pearls that she was giving to Daddy.

A tear swelled in Daddy's eyes as he was simultaneously reaching into his pocket, bringing out the most beautiful velvet box that Jenny had ever seen. Daddy handed the blue velvet box to Jenny and said simply, "I love you and I want to give you this."

As the spring clasp gave way to the pull of her little hands, Jenny gazed into the box and smiled the biggest smile she had ever smiled. It lit the room. For there in the box was a strand of GENUINE pearls, the real thing!

And Jenny was precocious enough to recognize exactly what they were.

She wouldn't have to rely on any cheap imitation! Daddy had given her the real thing! Wow! Wow!!

Now here's the question: What part of our lives are we holding onto that in reality is only a fake part of "real life"? What part of our lives are we trusting to "cheap plastic imitations" of real life?

So often we pick out something in life that we think is genuine and lasting and joy-giving, and miss out on what is truly genuine and lasting and true joy-giving. Do we cling to something we can buy, or own, or control, or manipulate? Do we hold onto more and more and more of what is only really less and less and less?

Having just recently celebrated in a special way the joy of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that the only REAL thing, the only GENUINE life is the life connected to His resurrection. And as we are connected in faith to the resurrection of Jesus, we are guaranteed the REAL and GENUINE life now AND even in eternity.

And the "good news" (gospel!) is that our Heavenly Father GIVES US this REAL, GENUINE Resurrection Life just because He loves us! Just because He loves us!! Wow! Wow!!

In fact, He loves us with all His Heart!

And we love Him with all our heart!

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!