A Crown in Exchange

I had a collection of precious jewels. 

Each one labeled with the things I hold dear to my life. 

My dreams, my fame, my talents, my financial stability. 

But, God asked me to give them to Him.

To trade in my precious jewels, in exchange for a precious crown. 

A crown of gold, with the same jewels I gave Him embedded into the sides. 

But those same jewels now labeled differently -
purpose instead of dreams,  influence instead of fame, spiritual gifts instead of talents, & generosity instead of stability. 

I began to repeat, 

I trade in my jewels, I trade in my jewels,

For the beautiful crown you offer me, Lord. 

I trade it all in, 

In exchange for the beautiful crown you offer me, Lord. 

Then I saw Jesus, step down from his throne next to the Father’s, walk over to me, & crown me with this crown. 

& I stood alongside him, as his equal, in the eyes of the Lord - as his brother, & as his sister. 

Both with crowns of our very own. 

It was a beautiful moment where I knew, deep in my soul, that the crown I wore, Jesus had bought with his crown of thorns. 

That because he had chosen thorns, I now wore gold. 

& the precious little jewels I once held onto so dearly, became insignificant in the light of what God has offered me.