Just hours after behaving like a princess at her teacher’s wedding, our tired little daughter cried to us that she no longer wanted to be a part of our family. And that, whilst she still loved us, she wanted to go and live with her teacher...
After a rest and a favourite home-cooked dessert that night, she sighed, “I want to stay here now. You’re the best mum in the world”.
And just a few days later she said, “I used to love Daddy lots and you just a little bit Mum, but now I love you both the same”.
Thankfully I don’t take these words (spoken in the heat of the moment... by a four year old) to heart, however, it does make me wonder how many similarities there are between her behavior and my own sometimes.
How many times has God provided for me and I thank him by saying, “You’re the best” and then just a day or so later whine and complain about something else that hasn’t gone my way?
How often do I feel like checking out when things get tough instead of trusting in His ways?
How often do I show my love intermittently by switching between being hot and cold, depending on my circumstances and what’s happening in my own little world?
Honestly? Pretty often actually!
I believe that God has put in us girls a desire to be treated like “princesses”, treasured, honored, loved, cherished, and protected but I also believe that we are to make it our practice to be thankful, humble, kind and gracious too.
When my little princess misbehaves from now on, let me be reminded of the huge responsibility that it is to raise her. Let me show her that, although it is fine to dress up and play princesses, what it really means to be a good one.
This is one of my favourite verses:
Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.... And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3
Andie :)
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