A Princess for Today

Girls of all ages are drawn to princesses. To their beauty, grace, elegance, their gowns, and of course...the crown. For it's the crown that makes us know for sure that she's a princess. How many little princesses have come to my door on Halloween for candy, their facing glowing through makeup, wearing their beautiful gown and tiara.

As we get older, graduation, weddings, Christmas parties, maybe as a bride ourselves, we dress up and express what's inside of us - the desire to be a beautiful princess. We're not delusional in dreaming of this or wishing for this. In fact, you are a modern day princess. Most people don't know it - and maybe you aren't aware of it - but it's true. As a daughter of the Most High God, and an heir with Christ Jesus, you are royalty. And you have a crown to prove it!

Let's take the crown out of the glass case and oooh and aaahh over it, OK?

who redeems your life from the pit

who crowns you with love and compassion

Psalm 103:4

For the LORD takes delight in his people;

he crowns the humble with salvation.

Psalm 149:4

and provide for those who grieve in Zion -

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:3

As I see the contrasts in these passages - rescued from the pit to being crowned, the humbled being raised up and crowned, beauty rising up out of the ashes - don't a lot of the fairy tales echo the truth of Scripture? God has done so much for His children, for those who can now call Him Father because of Christ's work on the cross so we can have forgiveness.

Kathryn Scott's song At The Foot Of The Cross (Ashes to Beauty) really hits the message home for me.

Trade these ashes in for beauty

and wear forgiveness like a crown

Wear forgiveness like a crown. I imagine that after dressing in the morning, doing the hair and makeup thing, I put on the crown...of forgiveness. The greatest thing I take pleasure in. A marvelous crown of beauty set with stones of love and compassion... pure grace. And I stand up taller and walk throughout the day aware of my crown, being careful not to be careless and have it fall off. Remembering what God has done for me.

What beautiful princesses we would be if we wore forgiveness like a crown. People would see us being kind and gracious, generous of heart, compassionate and loving. And our Father, THE KING, would get all the glory. May this be so!