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Sunday, March 16, 2008

Majesty



The Internet Cafe welcomes

Missy from
'It's Almost Naptime!!'

"Majesty"


On June 2, 1953, Princess Elizabeth left Buckingham Palace, her home of over 800,00 square feet, and rode to Westminster Abbey in a golden horse drawn coach for her coronation as Queen of England.


During the spring of 33 AD, Jesus made his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. He was coming from Bethany, but he was essentially a homeless man, for he had said that he had no place to lay his head. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young donkey - the most humble animal available. Not a horse, and not even a full grown and trained donkey, but just a colt. A simple, stupid beast of burden.


A crimson coronation robe that was six yards long hung from Elizabeth’s shoulders. Made of hand woven silk velvet, it was edged with ermine and two rows of embroidered gold filigree work. Her crown was solid gold and set with 444 precious stones. She also held a scepter that contains one of the largest diamonds in the world, at 530 carats.



Five days after he entered Jerusalem, the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. (Matthew 27:27-30)

Designers and seamstresses worked on Queen Elizabeth’s coronation gown for sixteen months. The white silk was elaborately embroidered in pastel colored silks, pearls, diamonds, pale amethysts, golden crystals, gold and silver bullion and sequins.


Jesus was stripped of all his clothes and hung on a cross. He was completely nude. Naked and exposed, he was humiliated in front of his mother and all of his friends and enemies. His clothing was then gambled away by strangers.



I am a daughter of the King. Therefore, I am a princess. But what kind of princess do I really want to be? Am I striving after what the world considers royalty? Or is it my goal to exhibit my royal blood in the same way that Jesus did?


My daughter Eva Rose is 3 years old, and has recently entered her “princess stage.” She is obsessed with castles, tiaras, and ballgowns.


I’m a whole lot older than Eva Rose, but think I still retain a little of this princess attitude myself. I definitely think my husband should be Prince Charming, and can get very frustrated when he isn’t. I want my children to be perfect princes and princesses, with appropriate regal attire, and I especially want them to behave in a royal manner. (Boy, is that fantasy going royally unfulfilled.) And I want my home to be a castle, beautiful, with everything just so. Jewels and wealth and servants to do my bidding would be awfully nice as well.

But this is the worldly view of royalty. And if I want to grow in godliness, I need to Get Over It.


Our King didn’t live like that, not in the slightest. Why should I, his daughter, expect such things? How can I closer reflect his life in my life? How, as John the Baptist put it, can I decrease and Christ increase (John 3:30)?


Reviewing the events of Easter week, the word that most comes to mind is humility. The Lord of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, humbled himself in the most degrading way possible, that I may be called a child of God, a member of a royal priesthood, an heir to his glorious inheritance.


Humility. I am closer to godliness when I am changing a dirty diaper than possibly at any other time!


Humility. I more resemble Christ the King while cleaning the toilet than if I had a 800,000 square foot palace full of servants.


Humility. I reflect the splendor of my Father more when I am gracious to a rude salesclerk than Queen Elizabeth did in all her finery on her coronation day.


Lord help to remember this, change my heart to be thankful for the opportunities to lay down my time, my pride, and my life for others.

Change my spirit that I would not be bitter or resentful of the unending chores and sacrifices.
Renew my mind that I may see them as opportunities to become more like the daughter of a heavenly King, who condescended to save me from my worldly desires.
Lord, teach me what it means to be your Princess.
Amen.


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13 Comments:

Blogger Denise said...

Thanks for sharing this lovely devotion.

March 15, 2008 at 11:50 PM  
Blogger da halls said...

Thank you, Missy, for this reminder.
80)
Mary Beth

March 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM  
Blogger Missy said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

March 16, 2008 at 1:15 AM  
Blogger Mocha with Linda said...

What a great juxtaposition of Christ's royalty and earthly royalty. It's mind-boggling to think that He set aside riches that make Queen Elizabeth's look like rags in order to humble Himself for us.

This was very convicting. I need much more humility and graciousness in my life. And that will come as I focus on what He did.

Thanks for a wonderful word for Palm Sunday!

March 16, 2008 at 8:33 AM  
Blogger Jenny said...

SO so appropriate. I so needed to hear that. Thanks, Missy.

March 16, 2008 at 8:44 AM  
Blogger Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

What an excellent example of the Divine Paradox who is Christ Jesus.

Come quickly, Lord...For we long to see you in the splendor you deserve...

March 16, 2008 at 8:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The Lord of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, humbled himself in the most degrading way possible, that I may be called a child of God, a member of a royal priesthood, an heir to his glorious inheritance."

What a picture of LOVE! Beautiful.

March 16, 2008 at 10:27 AM  
Blogger windycindy said...

Yes, the world's view of royalty and the Christian's view is quite different. Thanks for reminding me! Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

March 16, 2008 at 11:26 AM  
Blogger 2nd Cup of Coffee said...

I just don't even know what to say--this is just an excellent, excellent commentary on what it means to belong to "The Servant of All." For some reason, I've always been a little uncomfortable by princess monikers regarding God and us women. I just never could embrace that and proclaim it the way others seem to be able. I don't think it's that I do not undertstand my position in Christ; I think it's the whole humility thing, or wondering what women mean when they declare it so loud and proud? I'm not meaning to be judgmental. I'm just saying your comment about humility articulated what I have felt. Thanks, Missy.

March 16, 2008 at 1:10 PM  
Blogger Ruthie said...

What an encouragement to us moms -- especially the part about being closer to godliness when changing a dirty diaper. Beautifully written!

March 16, 2008 at 4:48 PM  
Blogger marina said...

These just made it more cleary what it means to be the daughter of the king,marina

March 16, 2008 at 6:24 PM  
Blogger Debbie@Like a Rose said...

Beautifully written! I think you may have written the prayer just for me with the current circumstances in my life. Thank you for saying what I needed to hear and giving me the right prayer to pray.

March 17, 2008 at 10:44 AM  
Blogger Beth Cotell said...

"Change my spirit that I would not be bitter or resentful of the unending chores and sacrifices."

I need to pray this multiple times a day. This summer vacation seems to be long and unending and I think it's ME that needs to change and not necessarily my kids.

Thanks for two great posts...this one and the one at your place!

July 2, 2009 at 7:48 AM  

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