Pearls or Band-Aids
Build godly character in your child through the pearl or band-aid challenge.
One of the most important gifts we can give to our children is teaching them the value of trials. Let’s face it dealing with life’s struggles, hardships and disappointments can be a difficult task, even for adults. Imagine how overwhelming it must be for kids. But with some parental guidance and a spiritual perspective, their trials could become priceless treasures. The Bible tells to ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sister whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ (James 1:2-4 )
I love putting this verse into action by playing the pearl or band-aid challenge. I must admit that pulling out a fake jumbo oyster shell filled with pearls and band-aids is one of my favorite things to do when a child is facing a difficult situation, and you will too. This is how it works:
Start by telling the child about oysters and how a pearl is made. An oyster is covered by two protective shells. This outer layer protects their organs in the same way our skin protects ours. When an oyster is injured, it produces a healing fluid that covers and protects the wound. Over time the healing fluid hardens to produce a pearl. It’s only through an injury that an oyster will produce pearl.
In a similar way, God turns our wounds and injuries into priceless gems. When we get injured, our bodies do a similar thing. Our blood clots and hardens to provide a protective barrier to the wound, but it produces a scab on our bodies instead of a pearl.
When our hearts are injured by careless words or the rejection of others the healing fluid of our heart is our attitude. Our attitude will either produce a scab or a pearl.
A bad attitude produces a scab.
A godly attitude produces a pearl.
Every time your child handles his or her trial with a good attitude, they earn a pearl that is placed in the oyster shell. Have them recite James 1:2-4.
Each time they have a bad attitude when dealing with their difficult situation they get a band-aid. It’s also placed in the oyster shell. Each time they put a band-aid in the oyster shell have them tell you how an oyster makes a pearl. The challenge is to have more pearls than band-aids at the end of the set time.
Items needed for the challenge:
- An oyster shell, real or fake.
- Pearls, I used fake ones.
- Band-aids.
Reward: I offered my granddaughter a pair of real pearl earrings if she earned more pearls than band-aids. This challenge took place during a long six-month medical trial. I would often find my granddaughter counting her pearls and band-aids. At the end of my granddaughter’s medical trial, we found out she would continue be legally blind in one eye. As disappointed as I was, I knew that she had gained something of great value during that difficult time. My daughter and I took her to get her ears pierced and she got her first pair of pearl earrings.
