Love and Princesses and Christian T-Shirts

I have a confession. 

I used to be one of those people who wore t-shirts with phrases on them.  Now I'm not talking for marketing purposes or the name or logo of your company or school.  I'm talking about the super nerdy shirts that you can buy through a horrible mail order catalogue, or an incredibly inappropriate store in the mall that seems to have Bob Marley's face plastered on everything.  The shirts I wore (mostly in middle school - as if THAT helped get me through the 7th grade... yikes) had slogans on them like "So many books, so little time" and "Instant Swimmer, just add water."  I wore them proudly to school, to practice, practically everywhere.  Then, of course, I wore the Christian shirts.  You know the ones - "1 cross + 3 nails = 4given."  If you grew up anywhere in middle America, you could find a half dozen of these shirts every weekend being modeled by your local Wal-Mart frequenters.

My least favorite Christian t-shirt (on a very, very long list, I assure you) is the one marketed towards tween girls: the Princess shirt.  The "I am a princess, because I am the daughter of a King" shirt.  Now please let me say that I do not dislike princesses.  I love the idea of princesses - I love the unattainable perfection that is Disney-pricess hair; I love the purity of heart that comes with being a princess; I love castles and gifts and enchanted things and being given gifts of giant libraries in an enchanted castle.  I love the idea of having a vast and grand inheritance waiting for me that was specifically put there by the Lord as my heavenly Father.  All of that is good and dandy, but I struggle to find the life application for the concept.    

Perhaps my life is unique, but rarely do I feel like a princess.  Don't think I am seeking pity or fishing for compliments - I am not.  But if I take a solid look at how I live my life, I just don't see it.  Disregarding material things like castles and poofy dresses, I am more regularly reminded of the impact of my sin and indiscretion against God than I am of a grand inheritance.  

I know I will never have the capacity to understand what God has done for me in saving me from my deathly fate, but how often do I turn from that?  Psalm 121 reminds us where we are supposed to turn our eyes, but how often do I look to the mountains and towards the grace of God when I don't need help?  When things are so terribly good that you forget, for a moment, that there is something far grander waiting for you?  I think it's easy to fall into the trap of being a princess and God is a genie in a lamp that you can rub when times get tough.  

Regardless of the validity of the statement of our heredity, I think the idea of being a princess clashes with the modern day idea of what a woman is supposed to be: strong, capable, self-sufficient.  To quote Alanis, "You treat me like I'm a princess.  I'm not used to liking that."  

Yet, if we are actually daughters of the king, should't we aspire to princess status?  Proverbs 31 gives almost impossible standards to meet, so there's that.  But there is also Psalm 45.  A song where the king is enthralled by the beauty of the woman (his bride) who is standing before him.  [Keep in mind this analogy of the king and his bride is the relationship of Christ and the church.]  I believe that this woman is indeed a princess, clothed in majesty.  The Lord looks on her with great love, and she knows immediately that her loyalty is claimed.  This does not mean that she loses her strength, capabilities or self.  Instead, because of his love, she is strengthened.  Because of his love, she is more capable.  Because of his love, she comes into the fullest sense of herself.  

I think we women tend to confuse this desire with needing a husband to do those things.  Yes, I hope that one day my husband will look at me with great love and claim my loyalty.  But those things are unachievable unless I recognize who I am now and realize that the love that I cannot live without is the love of Christ.

One thing I want to do this year is to have a daily scavenger hunt for myself.  On the top of my list everyday is to claim the inheritance promised to me by God.  I do not have to wait for death to experience the all-encompassing goodness of what heaven promises.  I do not have to wait for a kiss from Prince Charming (or a frog) to wait for the spell to be broken. 

I might not have it on a shirt, but I do love that I am the daughter of the King of Kings.  I just have to claim what has already been given.