The 'pearl oyster' is a marine bivalve
mollusc of the family 'Pteriidae'. It has a natural procedure to protect itself
from foreign substances. Occasionally, by an accident, a foreign particle such
as a grain of sand or a parasite may
gain entry into the inner body of the
oyster between the mantle and the shell causing great discomfort, irritation
and possibly, pain to the oyster.
'Nacre' is the mineral
substance secreted by the mantle of the oyster to fashion the shell. As the
oyster is unable to expel the intruding foreign body, it initiates a natural
defensive reaction. The mantle secretes 'nacre', the smooth, hard, crystalline
mineral, layer upon layer around the irritant intruder to coat it and cover it
completely. In course of time, the covered irritant becomes a beautiful, silky,
lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.
It has a shimmering iridescence and a special inner glow not found in other
types of gems.
The
coating of nacre consists of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, aligned
perfectly with one another so that light transmitted along the axis of one
crystal is reflected and refracted by another to display a spectacular spectrum
of light and colour.
A similar situation may arise in our life
frequently. Our mind may be hurt and wounded by adverse conditions and the
unkind behaviour and harsh words of others. When we are ignored, rejected,
misunderstood or ill-treated by prejudice or hatred, our mind gets wounded.
By trusting in the
infinite love of God, we can let Him cover our wounds and sorrows by several
layers of His healing love. Like the pearl made in the oyster from the healing
wound, we too can develop precious pearls of peace, strength and sanctity in
our mind and soul by the soothing and sanctifying grace of God. It is said that adversity is the best university to perfect
our personality.
We
must accept the sufferings and pain of life with the spirit of sacrifice. In
life, troubles, suffering and failures may fall on us. Let us not worry about
them or feel helpless or hopeless. We should not let the troubles defeat us or
bury us. Let us use every failure as a stepping-stone and not as a
stumbling-block.
Our life is like a boat, sailing through the sea of the world. We
may be threatened by the tempests of troubles, tribulations and temptations.
But we can sail safely if our faith is strong. God has control over the forces
of nature. He may give us tests and trials so that we may grow further and
stronger, but he never abandons us during hard times. God is with us in our
joys and tears throughout our life.
God has plans
to bring to us prosperity and not disaster.
........................................................................................
© By Prof.
Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology,
Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former
Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally
and Neil John, Maniparambil,
Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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