Warrior Princesses

The following is a quote I received in my e-mail this morning. It is a "thought of the day" that I subscribe to.

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“Me, a princess?”
“You are the legal heir.”
“I never lead anyone.”
“We will help you to be a princess, to rule. If you refuse to accept the throne then the
kingdom will cease to exist as we know it.”
--The Princess Diaries

In God’s name we must fight them!
--Joan of Arc
Women are often portrayed in stories and tales as the “Damsel in Distress.” We are the ones for whom men rise up and slay dragons. We are the “weaker sex”; said to faint at the sight of blood, needing to be spared the gory details of battle whether on the field or in the market place. We are the ones waiting in our flowing gowns for the knight to come and carry us away on the back of his white horse. And yes. There are days when a knight in shining armor would be most welcome. We do long to be fought for; loved enough to be courageously protected. But there is a mighty fierceness set in the heart of women by God. It is true to who we are and what we are created to do.

Women are warriors too.

Redeemed women of God have tender, merciful hearts, backbones of steel and hands that have been trained for battle. There is something incredibly fierce in the heart of a woman that is to be contended with, not dismissed, not disdained, but recognized, honored, welcomed and trained. 

(Captivating, by John Eldredge)

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Isn't it nice to hear that the "weaker sex" can be "warriors" too ~ and it doesn't take anything away from being feminine! I mean, it is something we all probably knew already in some sense, but it is still nice to hear it. We already know how hard we fight for our families, for our kids, for what we believe ~ we fight with the schools, the bullies, and neighbors if necessary ~ we fight on our knees, or when necessary, we fight on our feet, sometimes with our words, sometimes with a look... I do like to be fought for, I must confess. I love to be protected and honored and loved by my husband. I love to be sheltered. I love when my husband worries about me, comforts me, takes care of me. But I also  know that I am a positive force in my family, that my prayers are powerful, that I have important things to say, that my influence is needed in the lives of our kids and grandkids. I love the idea of being a princess, which for some reason brings to my mind a picture of a little girl in a pink tutu dancing and twirling and singing in her little girl voice without a care in the world (which was never my experience, only my dream) ~ and I love the idea of being a warrior. Maybe I should have named my blog "Warrior Princess." Well, I can be a REWRITTEN Warrior Princess. Anyway, I love being a woman ~ Wow, that is not something I have always been able to say. Even now it sounds a little strange, but it fits, too.

I especially love that last part of the quote above: "Redeemed women of God have tender, merciful hearts, backbones of steel and hands that have been trained for battle. There is something incredibly fierce in the heart of a woman that is to be contended with, not dismissed, not disdained, but recognized, honored, welcomed and trained." Something incredibly fierce. And that's a GOOD thing! Not something to be ashamed of. I like it.