| Read 1 Peter 2:9–10 The apostle Paul reminds believers that they are all God's special people, chosen to proclaim his praises. Little PrincessCatherine Bobbie is our firstborn. She's a beautiful, wonderfully charismatic little princess. And when I say "princess," I mean princess! I'm not referring to one of those little girls who like to play dress up and act like a princess. I'm talking about an honest to goodness, tiara-wearing, legitimate princess—or so Catherine is convinced. Of course, Nick and I have encouraged this behavior. We have given her authentic Disney princess costumes, including gloves, crowns, shoes—everything short of the prince (by order of Nick). What we didn't take into account was the fervor and zeal with which she would embrace her faux royalty (the "faux" part is just between you and me, of course, as Catherine will hear none of that). She wears one of her favorite princess outfits everywhere we go. Dressed from head to toe, she visits her subjects at the grocery store, the shopping mall, restaurants and anywhere else we visit. On a recent dinner outing, Catherine noticed one of the seating areas in the restaurant was closed off—and made a beeline for it. When the waitress graciously pointed out to Nick and me that there was no seating in that particular section (as if the large signs and ropes didn't make it clear enough), Catherine looked up and said very sweetly and sincerely, "I'm a princess. Can't I sit anywhere I want to?" I have to admit that I love this quality about my daughter. She truly believes that she is special. This is a stark contrast to what I believed about myself when I was a child. It took me years (okay, maybe decades) to walk with the confidence and love for myself that Catherine so naturally has. Nick and I are determined never to quash this quality in her. While some might think that allowing Catherine to believe she's a princess will cause her to grow up with an inflated ego, I believe we're simply reinforcing to Catherine the way that God sees her (and you and me, for that matter). I can't imagine a better start in life for Catherine than knowing who she is in Christ. After all, God calls us his sons and daughters—and that makes us royalty! We truly are sons and daughters of a king, the apple of our heavenly Father's eye. As we come to understand this, it becomes easy for us to declare his praises to others. Point to PonderAs God's sons and daughters, he wants us to come boldly before him, understanding that our relationship with him makes us special—very very special. Can you see yourself as royalty? |
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