Good gifts

Ok, so I got a text from my 14 yr old daughter on Saturday with a picture of some BIG hoop earrings that she wanted to buy. She has the money to buy them, just wanted to 'run it by me'. I review, trying to be as objective and un-"OH, Mom!"ish as possible, and I reply in the vague... well, they look ok - a little big, but I need something to compare them to. So she sends another picture with them in her hand. I reply less vaguely this time - they look OK - IDK, I'd have to see them on you. Fast forward to Monday evening: I'm cleaning up the counter where she's doing her homework and I find these BIG hoop earrings. I look at her, she looks at me with a trace of 'uh-oh'. So, I said, where did these come from? You can guess the rest of that conversation. Long and short of it is that she bought smaller ones than the first picture she sent me, but they were still pretty big. Never told me she bought them - never sent me a picture with them on -nada. So, did she have the desire to have hoop earrings? Yes. Was the desire to have them evil? No, not at all. Did she have the resources with which to buy them? Yes. Was she able to do this for herself? Yes. And did she? Yep. Flashback to earlier on Monday, as I'm getting ready for work. I put on my small hoop earrings and think - hey I could let her wear these for a little while so she can get used to wearing hoops - just to try them out, and then we can get her some nice (maybe bigger) ones for Christmas. I'll do that when I get home this afternoon. < Yay! - I get to surprise her; I hope it makes her happy.> As I'm mulling this whole thing over this morning, Jesus steps in and reminds me that its a great picture of my relationship with Him. How many times do I do stuff for myself and never even ask Jesus what HE would have for me? How much better are the gifts that He gives than what I rush to get and do for myself? The earrings she bought are heavy - she didn't expect that - and they are sterling silver. The earrings I was going to give her are super-light and are real gold. It comes down to control. How is it that I think that what Jesus has for me - everything, every day - is going to be somehow less than what I would do for myself? Matthew 7:11 (NLT) says, "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." So, Jesus, I give you control - again, today - and I'll be relinquishing it again tomorrow, if not sooner. I believe that what You have for me is so much better than anything I could imagine or do for myself. ~jrenee