I wish, brothers and sisters, that we could all imitate the pearl oyster. A hurtful particle intrudes itself into its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. The oyster cannot reject the evil but it 'covers' it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl!
Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians so that pearls of patience, gentleness, and forgiveness might be bred within us, by that which otherwise would have harmed us!
[Charles H. Spurgeon]
Colossians 3:13 … Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
1 Peter 4:8 … And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.❤
