I was raised without a sister in a world of boys. I, myself, was a tomboy.
I never wore dresses as a child. I played tackle football on the beach with my brothers and their friends. I refused to wear a bra until 7th grade. (I needed one in 5th grade). I had a Dorothy Hamill haircut (need I say more?). I never wanted to really be a girl.
I didn’t have lavish tea parties. I didn’t like pink. I was not into sparkly glitter at all. Somewhere inside I hated all the silly girlie stuff. Don’t get me wrong, my parents loved me and my mom tried. Somewhere along the line, I missed the grandeur of being a girl.
Luckily for me, God had begun to refine me in my teen years. I had become quite sophisticated. I had come a long way from my custom Vans tennis shoes and Jordache jeans. I had begun to like the finer things in life and the beauty in event planning in my 20’s. In some circles, I was down-right “girlie”. Eventually, I got married and did get all girlie for the big day. Not that any of these things are the end-all-be-all, for sure, but the Lord was softening me for what came next.
I was going to have a girl.
A daughter.
Not only one, but eventually, two.
Deep down inside, I was still the greasy haired, arm-twisting spitfire in 6th grade with a fresh coat of paint and fancy clothes on. I was sure I was not prepared to raise girls. In 2 Peter 1:3 it says God has given us everything we need for this life. But I was a skeptic, at best.
The baby years were pink. She was darling, and I began to relax thinking, “I can do this girl thing”. Then one day when my daughter was almost two, it happened.
My little girl became a princess overnight.
She wanted everything glittery, everything pink and every fluffy tulle item to wear. She twirled and danced around like the world was her oyster. These were uncharted waters for me. Her singing lit up my life and her imagination made me smile. My life would never be the same.
As I watched her naturally glide into this world of make-believe with ease, I felt the Lord pulling at the cords of confusion in my past. You see, my daughter was not taught how to “be a princess”, she just came out that way. Something inside her knew she had come from royalty or at the very least, she wanted to know she was beautiful and loved by the King of Kings. At two years old, she was more confident in who she was than I ever had been.
I was somewhat jealous. I wanted what she had. I had felt awkward and confused growing up. I was always trying to fill this big giant hole of uncertainty with things, people and life. You never would have caught me dead in a princess dress.
But raising two princesses made me a fan of all things royal. Not because Disney had fun princess stories or I like to be girlie now, but because GOD is the author of royalty. He is the one who made it up in the first place. He is the one who fills scripture with these noble examples. And it was in these days of discovery that the Princess Parables were birthed.
With God ushering me along, I began to see His love for me through my girls. I never before owned the fact that I am a daughter of the King, who reigns on high. I was still clinging to the “I’m a tomboy, and are you sure they are really going to let me in the gates of heaven, Lord?”
Here is what I learned about God’s love having princesses:
- As a daughter of the king, I share in His glory as one of His heirs (Rom. 8:17).
- He calls me beautiful (Ps. 45:10-11).
- I am chosen to be His girl (1 Peter 2:9).
- I am valuable because He has made me and woven me together. He calls me wonderful (Ps 139:12-14).
- He has made me a crown that will last forever! I get to be a real princess forever! (1 Corinthians 9:25)
- I am a treasured possession. His Princess! (Ex. 19:5)
- He created me – His Princess – for a purpose (Eph. 2:10).
I have started to own this royal calling He has given me over the years. It is not about wearing the dress or donning the crown. There is nothing wrong with being a tomboy. As long as in your heart, you are HIS girl, God’s princess. As long as you know whose you are and whom you serve. There was a disconnect for me all those years, but today, I have come a long way as the author of the Princess Parables.
Thank you, my King of Kings, for entrusting me with princesses who have shown me your love in a royal way. This unrelenting love lavishes upon me a new confidence in my position as your girl.
As my girls mature, they may take off the princess dress, but may they never forget the King’s love for them. Here is a blessing from my friend and mentor, Sally Clarkson for your family as you raise them as children of God:
May God’s richest blessings be with you as you dream, create ideas for your own family, and flourish in the creativity of mind and soul that comes with being God’s child, made in His likeness, and destined for an eternal home with Him.- The Life-Giving Home by Sally Clarkson
May God’s richest blessings be with you as you dream, create ideas for your own family, and flourish in the creativity of mind and soul that comes with being God’s child, made in His likeness, and destined for an eternal home with Him.- The Life-Giving Home by Sally Clarkson
How are you teaching your princesses and knights God’s love for them?
~Jeanna Young
