Pink Plastic Purse Principle
By Leslie Schonfeld
When I was a little girl, my Mom bought me a lime green patent leather change purse. I thought it was the most beautiful sophisticated accessory a girl could own. I stuffed it full of treasures, taking it wherever we traveled. I loved to run my fingers across the outside; and it was soft and smooth. It made me feel special.
As I grew older, my green purse was replaced by others. I was no longer attracted to such flashy accessories; brown or black would suffice. Then one day, while shopping with my daughter Elizabeth, I saw it. There on the clearance rack was a bright pink plastic purse. Deep within me the feeling I hadn’t had in years returned. That silly purse delighted me. With encouragement from my daughter, I bought it. It became my primary purse for the next year.
So, what possesses a forty something to carry a pink plastic purse? Trust me, it wasn’t to be fashionable It certainly takes a lot of confidence to carry one, but it was more than that. I believe it took me back to one of the delights of childhood. Not the purse itself, but the attitude it reminded me of.
This is where the “pink plastic purse principle” became part of my life. It became a standard that strengthened my faith. Jesus said to come to him like little children. We are to be humble, trusting, and carefree. My attitude changes when I live by this principle. My heart is stripped of negativity and cynicism. With my trust in the Lord, I become carefree and less self- reliant, making me more God- reliant.
I believe sometimes we take life just a bit too seriously. We get caught up in grown-up business, which in the long run really doesn’t matter. We let life’s circumstances weigh us down. We are tripped up by worries that are out of our control. Certainly, I am not suggesting we run from our responsibilities; that would be childish. To be childlike means we recognize we are not in control and we trust the One who is.
It has been a couple of years since I carried the pink purse but I still try to live by the principle God used to teach me. It reminds me to embrace each day as a gift. With gratitude I recognize that no matter what, I have Jesus. My life is full of surprises, containing twists and turns. Some days I breeze through and others are full of challenges. When the pressures start to build, I pause, I mentally lay down my cares at the feet of Jesus and pick up my pink plastic purse again.
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