Ellie's Princess

I've been mulling over some thoughts for the past few days, trying to formulate them clearly enough to put them on paper. All of my thoughts stem from a simple trip to Walmart that ended up providing a life changing Truth for me.

I have to preface this by saying that the Walmart nearest my house is often referred to as "the ghetto." It is frequented by many questionable characters, and it's not a place I often (if ever) visit alone after dark. :-)

On this particular afternoon, I was hurrying through the parking lot trying to get through the double doors when I spotted a woman. I'm going to be brutally honest here. This woman caught my attention because of her size. She was extremely overweight, so much so that she could barely walk. Every step seemed incredibly difficult, and she leaned on her cart for assistance every time she picked up her foot to move forward. I tried not to stare and kept walking when an enthusiastic comment from Ellie nearly stopped me in my tracks: "Mommy!!! Look at her BEAUTIFUL princess dress!!!!" I glanced back to see that this woman was indeed wearing a dress with a bright yellow flowing skirt.  I quietly acknowledged Ellie's comment and moved on, but her words rang in my head and have stuck in my heart ever since.

In her childlike innocence, Ellie had missed the flaw that I had seen instantly.  Ellie looked at this woman and only saw her beauty. As I've thought about this over the last few days, I realized how clearly Ellie reflected our God of grace who died for mankind to secure our redemption even while we were yet sinners (Rom5:8) A perfect, holy God who extends a relationship to me, who pursues me, and who loves me unconditionally despite my many shortcomings, sins, selfishness, and pride. A righteous God who is in need of nothing, yet still desires a relationship with me. An amazing God who is complete in Himself yet still chooses to use me for His Purposes. A loving God who calls me His Bride and promises to return for me and take me to His glorious home, even when I sometimes live as though this world is all there is. Because of Christ, God can look at me and see beauty. God can cover over my many flaws and see His Bride. Or in Ellie's words, His "Princess." :-)

How I pray that God would give me the eyes of a child to see others the way God sees, to extend to others the same incredible grace I have received. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (Jn 13:34-35)

What a difference we could make if we chose to see value in those that the world rejects, if we chose to overlook the flaws and see the masterpiece, if we chose to remember all we have been saved from and the ugliness of our own sin more often so that we could humbly extend grace to those the world often dismisses or avoids. How many lives would be changed if we allowed the gracious love of God to so radically impact and fill us that we couldn't do any less than love others with His love?

Today I went to the commissary with the kids. It was pouring down rain (I literally had to blow dry my hair a second time after returning home because I looked like a drowned rat!), and the kids were tired. Ethan fussed loudly almost the entire time. Brandon tried a food sample that he disliked, then proceeded to gag and puke on the commissary floor. Obviously, the trip was not going well! Shortly after the puking incident, a woman approached me with a kind smile and said, "I just wanted you to know I remember the days of having young children. I know it can be hard, but you are doing a great job. Good for you. And your children are BEAUTIFUL!"

I'm sure it took quite a lot for her to look past Ethan's red, blotchy, snotty face and Brandon's hands full of puke-covered wipes (we were in search of a trash can, after all!), but she did. She overlooked it all and spoke life-giving, loving words. She may have no idea just how deeply I needed encouragement or how vastly she changed my perspective, but I pray I never forget that moment. I pray that God will give me eyes to see people as His priceless masterpieces and the grace to love others as richly, freely, and impartially as He does.

I pray I never forget the lesson I learned from Ellie's Princess.