Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amarao knew she had a treasure.

It was a gift from a relative who was a fisherman. While helping him move, he gave Maggay-Amarao the gift. It was a 75-pound pearl.

The man had kept it under his bed for 10 years. He said it was “his good luck charm.” It measured two feet long and one foot wide. It is possibly the most significant natural pearl found.

Today, it is on display at the local city hall.

Who knew that this modest home of a fisherman, held a treasure beneath a mattress?

Jesus told a story about someone who found a pearl. He was a merchant whose trade was pearls. When he found one of immeasurable value, it says:

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matt 13:46)

Most want a treasure, but they never believe it is in plain sight. The pearl of the gospel is not hidden under a bed or locked away in a vault.  Instead, God’s grace is open for anyone who will obey.

If you had that kind of a pearl, wouldn’t you do all you could to keep it? Why not sometime more precious?

-Robert G. Taylor-