Parable of the Trading Beads

My sewing professor shared a great thought with our class the other day and I want to share it.

She walked into class with this tacky looking beaded necklace on. She began to explain that the head of the department begs her to stop wearing them whenever she has them at school. Then she asked us why we thought that was. The beads kind of looked like macaroni, there were a lot of colors but no rhyme or reason to any of them--they were just randomly strung. Everyone in the class assumed she shouldn't wear the necklace because it looked unprofessional.

My professor then proceeded to explain that the beads around her neck are hundreds of years old and are authentic African trading beads. These beads are the most expensive piece of jewelry she owns next to her wedding ring. That's why the dean wanted her to stop wearing them.

The beads did not look like much, but they had enormous worth. Do we sometimes feel like that personally? My teacher related this to our sewing projects and how she had seen enormous improvement even when we didn't, but she also pointed out that this applies to so many other aspects of life.

How many of us are so overwhelmed that we do not see our own progress? We so often compare ourselves to others. I can guarantee that someone in my class was wearing a much prettier necklace than the one my teacher was wearing, and yet it had next to no value next to the trading beads. All of us have something to offer.

Count your efforts--they have influence and value. They may not look like much, but they have enormous worth. You have enormous worth.