Being a Girl

My daughter experienced the joy of her first formal event last weekend. She was able to attend with three of her girlfriends and had a wonderful time (in the photo, the red shoes are on her feet). It took more effort to get her ready for this formal than anything I can remember. Maybe my wedding preparation was more labor-intensive; if so, this runs a close second! But it was all worth it when I watched my daughter and her friends beaming in their beautiful gowns. One of her friends was completely transformed by the experience. She commented that she actually felt like a girl!

I guess losing the perception of one's femininity is a hazard of modern living. To keep up with the boys, we often set aside the more demure parts of ourselves without even thinking about it. That's such a loss for us and our daughters. When God made the world, the only time he said something was "not good" was right before He made women. We are not better than men, but we are, as John Elderidge states in his book, Captivating, "The culmination of God's creativity." We are distinct from men and have been given desires that belong to our gender alone. Enjoying beauty, pursuing deeper relationships and a grand sense of romance are only a few of the characteristics God thought were special enough to empart to us. So often we see these as signs of weakness, but they are what make us complete. They are what make our male/female relationships complete. God made woman to compliment man, not to be the same as him. If we could embrace that concept ourselves and teach our girls to love those parts of themselves, we would make such a positive contribution to their lives.

I wrote a song for an "Undiscovered Talent Show" at my church a few years back. I haven't found a way to share sound on this blog, but I can share the words that I wrote here.

When I was a little girl

I had a fantasy

Of how one day my prince would come

And off he'd carry me,

To a castle in a kingdom

full of beauty, wealth and love.

A picture perfect paradise

That I'd always dreamed of.

And I'd sing,

I'm a princess,

A daughter of the king.

Yes, a princess

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But, to my father,

I'm a princess.

As I grew up I realized

that on the earth there was

No prince to come and rescue me,

But that was fine because

I met my savior, Jesus

And his Father, God the King.

I invited Him into my heart,

Now I can truly sing,

I'm a princess,

A daughter of the King.

Yes, a princess,

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But to my Father,

I'm a princess.

The earth is not my kingdom.

It is only by His grace

I can live this life in freedom

Until the day I see His face.

And sing

I'm a princess

A daughter of the King.

Yes, a princess

A precious, beloved being.

To this world I might not seem

The image of success,

But to my Father,

I'm a princess.

Yes, to my Father,

I'm His princess.

For the sake of our girls, no, for the sake of ourselves, let's not lose what makes us special. We are princesses, whether we are VP's of marketing, homemakers, marathon runners or all of the above. We are unique and special. We are precious to the One who made us!