Day 2 "Daughter Of The King"
Daddy’s Little Princess
Photo found on Unsplash.com
Good Morning Beauties!
By definition, a daughter of the king is a princess. What comes to mind when you hear that word…princess? Is it positive or negative? For most of us, it’s a word we’ve been familiar with since early in our childhood. If you watched a lot of Disney movies or read children books, you probably can list several names of princesses. Perhaps it was the name your father gave you as a term of endearment, “Daddy’s Little Princess.” But what if your family did not watch Disney, read books, or assign endearing names to the children?
Today I’m going to address this topic head on…our fathers and the impact they had on us as young daughters. Looking at relationships with friends since childhood is all I need to be convinced of what psychotherapist, Dr. Mary Jo Rapini states, “Studies show that dads give girls 90% of their self-esteem before the age of 12.” She goes on to explain, “fathers who pay attention to their daughters' achievements, interests and characters tend to produce confident adults, whereas fathers who dwell on their daughters' appearance tend to damage their self-esteem. A girl who grows up without a father tends to have a poorer self image than those with fathers who are active in their upbringing.” (From an article at National Parents Organization.com)
The enemy has destroyed many women’s self-esteem and sense of security through their father’s lack of ability to parent well. I believe the vast majority try hard and want to do a great job, but sometimes they fail. Sometimes they didn’t have a good role model in their own father, or perhaps they didn’t have a father at all. The spectrum of fatherhood performance swings wide from a Godly father who provided physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial support to fathers who abandoned or abused their child.
Parenting is hard work, and that’s why our ultimate parent is Father God, Abba Father, (Daddy). The Bible tells us that God is “the Father to the fatherless.” (Psalm 68:5) No matter where your own father fits on the spectrum, Father God can and will fill any holes that exist in your heart. None are too broken or beyond the healing balm of His perfect love. Psalm 3:3 says, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Will you allow Him to come and pour His love on your wounded places? They may be big or small, but He wants to heal them all.
Psalm 45:10-11 (below) speaks of forgetting the past, including any pain from not getting what you needed as a child, and honor God, because He is where you find your identity. He is your Daddy, Bridegroom, Friend, your all in all. Let’s take time to praise Him for who He is and all He means to us.
Love and Blessings,
Kendra
“Now listen, daughter, pay attention, and forget about your past. Put behind you every attachment to the familiar, even those who once were close to you! For your royal Bridegroom is ravished by your beautiful brightness. Bow in reverence before him, for He is your Lord!”