Whistle while you reign

Ladies, do you whistle while you reign?

Let me explain. I was thinking about Cinderella. Born into a well-to-do family, with a father that lavished his love upon her, Cinderella might have been ill-prepared for a brutal stepmother and cruel stepsisters. Yet, following her father's untimely death, she was forced to perform tasks that she could have deemed beneath her station. She might have rebelled and sought revenge on her evil family members. She didn't.

You know the story. Cinderella works joyfully, singing, and talking to her new animal companions. She manages to find peace and happiness in the midst of what could have been an extremely unhappy existence. She somehow discovered a way to serve and maintain her inner beauty and integrity while those around her behaved quite, well, quite unlovely.

This fairytale favorite got me thinking about my own life. I don't always whistle while I work, joyfully and thankfully performing my "chores." I don't always reign with grace and love. In fact, I've been known a time or two (or three hundred) to behave more like the demanding stepsisters. Am I pretty enough? Do I have enough? Am I smart enough? Will the prince like me? Me. Me. Me.

In fact, too many women aspire to look the part of a princess; they have confused their royal desires for worldly success with the subtle, often behind the scenes, positions that princess warriors for Christ may hold. Not all Princess Warriors are created or called to work under the glow of the spotlight. In fact, quite often, the important roles are happening behind the scenes.

A true Princess Warrior will learn to release her own selfish motives for the betterment of her Kingdom. It's not about her (our) glory. It's about His.

I thought the above princess photo was gorgeous. However, I don't know who this woman is or what motives reside within her heart. But, God does. He is not interested in the time we spend fussing about our appearances or getting noticed for our "good deeds." He is concerned about our inner loveliness.

Let me remind you that while Cinderella was loyal to the seemingly menial tasks assigned by her step-family, behind the scenes something much greater was brewing. After all, in the end she became the princess of a great kingdom and the wife to a fabulous future king. Not bad at all.

So often, the "jobs" that God has us doing today, are simply preparing us for a promotion tomorrow. Learning to embrace where we are and what we are doing in this very moment is crucial to our reigning effectively. Bemoaning our current assignments will only keep us miserable.

So ...Here's the challenge! No matter what your day entails, tomorrow, thank God for His grace, mercy, and hope. If you know how to whistle, go ahead, whistle while you work. Hum a song. Speak positive words to yourself and those around you. Wipe out the dreaded three C's: criticizing, condemning, and complaining.After all, we have good reason to smile.

Someday we will reside in the perfect palace, with the perfect prince, forever and ever. This life is but a prequel to what's next ... His best.