I spent a half and hour practicing my posture at the occupational therapists on Wednesday. You know that scene in "Princess Diaries", when Mia learns she is a princess and then she has to relearn how to sit, and stand, and walk? Yeah. That's how I felt. Only not as cool, because I don't get a palace out of this deal. I just get good posture. But, Diane, my OT, says the better posture will relieve stress and tension in my shoulders, thus helping the tension and tendonitis that is in my wrists and elbow.
It was a week for progress. A week when, for the first time in awhile, I saw a bit of light at the end of this tunnel. While the light might have shown me how very long this tunnel is, it also gave me hope. Monday was my first appointment with the occupational therapist. Diane used to do gymnastics, and she plays violin. We understand each other very well. Coincidence? I think not. She discovered tendonitis in my left elbow, so I added that to my list of injuries. She talked me through some of what I'll be doing and working on for the next few weeks and months to begin the healing process. Wednesday, when I went back, she introduced me to good posture. I heard "Shoulders down" more times in that half an hour than I have my entire life. I'm considering hiring someone just to walk around behind me and remind me every three minutes. While 'fun' isn't the word that I would use to describe therapy (it hurts!), hopeful is.
Thinking about this 'princess' posture that I am reminding myself to have, made me think about my role as a daughter of the King. Sometimes, I feel it's cliché. "I'm a princess, a daughter of the King!" Ok, yes. We get that. That's nice. We like to picture being princesses as dressing up, having beautiful, perfect hair all the time, not having to work and being fabulously rich. But that's seriously not all a princess is. A princess represents her father. Raised by him, when she steps out of the palace walls, her name is inevitably tied to the King's. She did nothing to earn such a title and needs to do nothing to keep this title. She will forever be the daughter of the King. But her life, and her actions, her words and behavior, these all reflect on the King. A poorly dressed princess, a rude and selfish princess, a unfriendly, uncaring princess…this all says something about her father. She is held to higher standards than the rest of the people in the kingdom. And one day, she will receive her inheritance. But a princess who reflects poorly on her father will surely not receive the kind of inheritance that a daughter who honors her Father will.
And so back to the idea that I, as an adopted child of God, am a princess, a daughter of the King. I did nothing to earn this title. And I am called to represent my Father. Learning under his gentle teaching and gracious compassion and mercy, I should live in such a way that when I step outside my doors, people will inevitably tie my name to the King's. I am held to a higher standard. I am called to live differently. I am called to have a "quiet and gentle spirit" and to realize that "charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the [King] is to be praised" (1 Peter 3:4 and Proverbs 31:30). And one day, I will receive my inheritance. Will my Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, daughter of mine" (Matt. 25:21)?
I do not expect to ever receive a palace in this life. I won't wear fancy dresses, drink tea with the Queen, or ever have perfect hair all the time. But I am a daughter of the true King. So for now, I will go back to working on my 'princess' posture and striving to let my life reflect upon my who my Daddy is.
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God". 1 John 3:1
No comments:
Post a Comment