The tiny peanut of a girl tugged on her mom’s hand and pointed. Her mom smiled at me. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?”
With wide eyes, she looked at me. I thought she wouldn’t have the courage to ask, but she did. “Are you a princess?”
My heart melted. “Do I look like a princess?”
She nodded.
Not wanting to fib, I dodged the question. “I’ll bet you’re a princess, aren’t you?”
Another nod.
“What’s your name?”
“Aslyn.”
“What a perfect name for a princess.”
She smiled and looked up at her mom, who beamed at her precious, little girl.
As you can imagine, this interaction made my day. I thought I looked nice since I was dressed up for the wedding we were attending. But a princess? This middle-aged grandmother, who carries a bit of extra weight, looked like a princess to this beautiful, small stranger? As you also can imagine, that put a little extra pep in my step throughout the night. (Although the brand-new shoes which squeezed my toes made me feel more like Cinderella’s step-sisters trying on the too-small glass slipper.)
As a writer, I often take moments in time, both good and bad, and build on them to make stories. As I was retelling this incident to my parents, a thought came to me. Isn’t that what being a child of the Most High King is all about? God doesn’t see me as the grandma with the sagging middle. He sees me as the Princess that I am in His kingdom—a princess He loves so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son for me. He loves me so much that He listens to my prayers and pledges to answer them, although sometimes that answer is a “No.” He doesn’t vow to always rescue me from the consequences of my sinful behavior or the sinful behavior of others. But in Romans 8:28, He does promise to “cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Wow! Now that’s a promise to hang onto.
So, when anyone asks again, “Are you a princess?” The answer will forever be a resounding, “Yes!”
Love you bunches and boocoodles, my fellow princes and princesses! Have you ever had a similar experience or another situation which reminded you of your royal status? Please comment below and/or on my Facebook author page. I love hearing from you!
