The Real Princess Bride

“Someday my prince will come. Someday I’ll find my love and how thrilling that moment will be.” Woman was made to love and honor Man and the natural proclivity is to search for the that one true and charming man who will ride in on that white horse, swooping in to rescue us from the boring, mundane sometimes evil valley below. The scene depicted is riding off together to live happily ever after. The groom is exceedingly strong, yet endlessly gentle. The bride is adorned in pristine white garments, the picture of wide-eyed purity. Oh yes, the search for true love is not for women only.  Though men quite certainly have different presumptions about how to know when love is real, the quest to fill that desire is equally as strong.

As a girl, I grew up sugar and spice, but not necessarily all things nice. So the search for Prince Charming was on. The emphasis to be beautiful enough to secure Mr. Right started innocently enough; with tightly wound golden locks adorned with a plastic crown. Transitioning from teenager to young adult heightened the need to be loved by someone special. To quote another musical that took scripture out of context, my search could be summed up with “any dream will do.” (Comment if know that musical.) Rescue me – come on and rescue me from this low income, lost hope way of living life. It’s interesting how far anyone will go to find what they think will make them happy; what will make life complete. Most of the time that concludes with a downward spiral, which forces one to wake up to reality: but not always.

It’s fun to play dress up, get on the “Sunday best” and look like a lady. Sometimes little girls just don’t want to grow up and innocently perpetuate the myth of the princess bride in various ways. Upon coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ however we see the true deliverer devoid of fantasy wrapped up in sorcery, wicked stepmothers and evil queens. In the kingdom of Christ we won’t find talking crickets that with the initials J.C. that act as spirit guides or ascended masters on the African plain.  As Christians we are committed to allowing Jesus full rein to reign in our lives as the Prince of Peace and the lover of our souls. Instead of gazing into the looking glass, being deceived into thinking it measures our value, “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) It is Jesus we are longing to see, His image we desire to reflect.

It was jarring to have my little girl bubble burst, but oh so worth it to acquire in its place a greater understanding of what it means to live true life, the Christian life. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-7)

The Lord wants us to use our time, talent and treasure to search for and serve Him – to be used by Him. Remember how He says He will come for His church at a time not expected? (Matthew 25:11) His people need to be ready, filled with His love, adorned with our wedding garments. We are His Bride. He says this in Ephesians 5, “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (24-27) Since the image of my natural body is marred due to the ‘ravages of time’ and the effects of cancer treatments, the way the Lord sees me on the inside must be satisfying enough.

As a wife I look to, lean on and love my husband, but He cannot in any way take the place reserved for Christ my heavenly husband to whom I am eternally joined. All members of the true church described for us in Scriptures are the ‘Real Princess Bride’, clothed in pure white. We will be called one day by our husband Jesus Christ to “come up here” and be joined together forever with Him. “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God." (Revelation 19:7-9)

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