I remember being at a conference when the woman sitting behind me said, “God wants to give you earrings.”
I remember thinking, What does that even mean?
Up until that point, I hadn’t worn earrings in 20 years because I was allergic to every kind of metal. I had tried everything, but nothing seemed to work.
I wondered, Does this mean I’m going to be able to hear Him more clearly?I loved the thought, but I honestly had no idea what God was saying.
Then, about six months later, I was at a women’s retreat when a woman came running over to me and said, “God told me to give you these!”
In her hand was a pair of earrings, blue and green, shaped like miniature earths.
I put them in and my ears were fine. No allergic reaction!
I wondered what God might be saying through them. Perhaps He was reminding me to keep doing His work, to carry His life within me, and to be His light to the world around me.
And that was just the beginning of the earrings.
About a year later, I attended a Women’s Aglow meeting. It was Mother’s Day, and they passed around a box of earrings and invited us to choose a pair. I picked out earrings that celebrated motherhood. I felt God reminding me that He had created me to be a mom, a calling I have always loved.
Then, at school, someone was giving away earrings. They were shaped like lightbulbs and carried the message, “Be the light.” That phrase has always been one of my favorites. Once again, I felt as though God was speaking to my heart through something as simple as a pair of earrings.
When I traveled to New York, my beloved step mother, Dottie, invited me to choose something from her jewelry box. I picked out a pair of old filigree heart earrings, and I loved them immediately. They were beautiful and meaningful to me. I felt God reminding me that He had given me His heart, and that, through my relationship with Dottie, I was also receiving the gift of her heart.
When I published my book, my daughter had miniature book earrings made for me. What a thoughtful gift! I felt God was affirming that I had finished what He had asked me to do in writing with Him and had finally put it out into the world for the people He intended it to reach.
And then, just this week, my daughter gave me a pair of 14-karat gold diamond earrings. There was no special occasion and no particular reason other than that she loves me.
They are, by far, the most expensive earrings I have ever owned.
As I look at them, I feel God whispering something precious to my heart: You are a jewel to Me. You are a precious gem.
I think about the refining that comes through fire, the seasons that shape us, and the ways God uses our experiences to make us more like Him. And I am reminded that even through the refining, He has never stopped loving me. I am precious to Him, not because of anything I have accomplished, but simply because I am His.
What began with a simple sentence spoken at a conference has become a beautiful, ongoing conversation with God. Each pair of earrings has carried a different reminder, a different encouragement, or a different expression of His love.
I don’t know if I will ever fully understand everything He has been saying through them, but I have come to treasure this unusual and personal gift.
I am so excited that God continues to give me earrings! (Side note-I’m able to wear any and all kinds of earrings to this day allergy free!)
What a special, special gift. ❤️
