Now I'm a princess

Sunday morning, upon getting dressed for church in her new dress, my daughter walked in and said, "Look at my beautiful dress Mommy!  Now I'm a princess!  Isn't it wonderful?"  I could not help but allow a giggle to escape my lips as I watched my sweet daughter spin in circles, admiring her new dress (not the one in the picture might I add). 

My child has become fascinated with princesses in recent months.  Most nights she reminds me, "Daddy's the king, you're the queen, and I'm the princess."  At least we have the monarchy ordered properly.  She spins, she dances, all the while saying that she is doing so "like a princess."  As I reflected back on these moments, my heart wanted to tell her:

A dress does not make you a princess, nor does the world's perception of your beauty.  The right shoes, the right clothes (as agreed upon by our society), the perfect hair do, none of it, not one single thing can make you a princess.  The captain of the football team does not even have that power.  Nothing on this earth can grant you the rightful place of heirship, not one single thing.  No, you are a princess because God has called you to it.

In fact, Romans 8:16-18 tells us, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."  


The prayer of my heart, my desire for my child is that she will know beyond a shadow of a doubt, know in spite of what the bullies of life tell her, that she belongs to the One True God, the Creator, The Lord, the King Eternal.  I want her to know that she has already been given a crown of righteousness, a garment of praise, and the ashes of the world will be turned to beauty (Isaiah 61:3).  I want her to be so sure of these things that she finds no value in the riches of this world, its beauty, or fame.  No, I pray that she grows, knowing she is a princess, beautiful, gracious, kind, compassionate, loving, and merciful because of her assuredness in who God is.  I pray the authority of God in her life is so real and so evident that every decision she makes flows from his calling. 

My heart's desire is that my child looks at herself in the mirror and knows she is beautiful, not because of a worldly standard, but because of an eternal throne.