A story from my mom ~

Years ago as a young girl I loved to play and pretend many things. One day I was playing that I was a princess. My mother heard me playing and sat me down to tell me this story. I don't know where she got this story from, but it certainly made an impact on me.

There once was a Daddy and little girl that loved each other very much. He told her that he would never lie to her and would always love her. Daddy had to be gone doing business often, but the reunions between them were sweet. They had a special tradition that Katie looked forward to greatly. When her daddy came home from trips he would call her to him and tell her to close her eyes and reach her hand down into his big suit pocket for a small gift.
One time Katie pulled out a sparkly, white bead bracelet, that became her greatest treasure. She wore it every day and told everyone she met how it was a gift from her daddy.
Her mother had to remind her to take it off when bedtime came.

There came a day when her daddy came home from being gone for several days and he called her to him. She came running excitedly to his side. He took her face in his hands and lovingly asked her if she knew that he loved her. She replied that she KNEW he did. He reminded her that he would never lie to her. Katie shook her head, "yes", she knew that as well.
Then he said, "Katie, before you put your hand in my pocket for your gift, I have a special request to make of you."
"What Daddy?" Katie asked. Her father replied, "Katie I want you to give me your very special bracelet. I want you to give me the thing you love most."
"Oh, Daddy, give you my bracelet? But, Daddy, why do you need it?" Katie began crying.
Her wise, loving daddy said to her, "Honey, I have a gift for you, but first you must give me your bracelet. First, you must trust me."
Katie turned away from her father, tears running down her cheeks. Her daddy stood waiting, quietly, lovingly, waiting- for his daughter to return.

Finally, after many long minutes, his little girl turned and came back to her daddy.
She slowly pulled the treasured bracelet off her wrist, and placed it in his waiting, open hand.
He said nothing, but opened his pocket for her to reach her small hand into.

Katie put her hand down in his pocket and felt a small box. Pulling it out, she looked questioningly at her father. Katie opened the box and began to weep.
For there in the box was a real pearl bracelet. Her daddy opened his arms and as they embraced, he looked deep into her eyes and said, " If Jesus ever asks you to give up the thing you love most, it is because He has something of infinite worth to replace it with. You can always trust Him."

Last night as my little girls were playing princess, they had been given plastic bead necklaces. I thought of this story and shared it with them. Then we looked at Psalm 45:9-13 . God showing us what He wants of His princesses. How He wants them to be "all glorious within". The value of those plastic beads was suddenly lost.
Jesus will ask each of us to give up what we treasure, not to hurt us- Only to give us what is most valuable.
The question is, are we able to trust Him? Trust Him when it seems like we must protect ourselves. Trust Him when everything is falling to pieces in our lives.

Jesus knows us, far better than we know ourselves. He is worthy to be trusted.