Fairy-tale femininity {Leslie Ludy}

"When I was a little girl, I loved wearing frilly, lacey, puffed-sleeved princess dresses--the more poof, the better. But back then the Disney Princess outfits hadn't come onto the scene, so I had to settle for wearing fancy nightgowns or bridesmaid dresses my mom picked up at second-hand stores for my "dress up" collection. They were always about five sizes too large, but I loved wearing them anyway. I would twirl around the backyard and pretend I was the most beautiful princess in all the land.

--Nearly every woman I've ever met has at one point in her life imagined that she was a beautiful princess, twirling gracefully in yards of satin and silk, with gallant noblemen fighting duels in order to win her hand in marriage. And judging by the hundreds of little princess walking around Disneyland, this is a dream that continues to thrive within the hearts of little girls everywhere.

--For some reason, the idea of becoming a princess seems to capture the intrinsic longing in every girl's heart to be fully feminine--to glow with grace, radiance, and loveliness. It's an innocent desire. In fact, I believe it's a God-given desire. But as we progress from childhood into young womanhood, the culture quickly warps and twists our longing for feminine beauty into something altogether different than the Disney Princess version.

--In all of the fairy tales I'd grown up with, the heroine might have been beautiful, but she was not admired for her sex appeal. Rather, she was admired for her poise, grace, gentleness, courage, and feminine charm. (And, by the way, the idea of graceful, heroic femininity didn't originate in fairy tales--they are part of God's perfect design for a woman.) 

--When I was young, I had spent hours imagining I was a captivatingly lovely heroine, exuding a sweetness and charm that caused even the birds to come rest upon my finger as I walked through the forest. When I saw injustice, I would quickly rush to offer help and protection. And when confronted with evil, I would sacrifice my own personal happiness to protect what was right. I used to dream about meeting a gallant prince who would be fascinated by all the amazing qualities he saw in me; a man who would slay dragons and conquer kingdoms in order to win me for his own.

--[I had] come to the sad realization that modern guys couldn't care less about feminine grace or nobility. They measured your worth based on the size of your chest and shape of your body. . .Modern culture scorned fairy-tale femininity. Nearly every magazine cover or fashion ad portrayed the same image of "beauty"-a haughty-looking young woman with an icy scowl on her face, waifish clothes draping her anemic body, and her lifeless eyes lacquered with ghoulish black liner. This, apparently, was the standard for womanly allure--the type of girl that guys were attracted to and that society applauded. 

--So I traded my pursuit of true feminine beauty for the cheap counterfeit presented by the culture. . .

--Then I began to read about the amazing, world-altering, Christ-built women of days gone by. I came to realize that though truly beautiful feminintiy may be scarce these days, it didn't used to be quite so uncommon. Woman who exuded enchanting beauty can be found all throughout the pages of Christian history. [they] rejected the empty feminine charm of the world and embraced an altogether different kind of beauty-the beauty of Jesus Christ. They showcased femininity as God intended it to be in all it's elegance, grace, nobility, and lasting loveliness.

--Captivating femininity  isn't supposed to only be found in Jane Austen novels or Cinderella stories. Words like enthralling, enchanting, breathtaking, stunning, delightful, and noble should be the description of every set-apart, Christ-built young woman. It's God's perfect design for each of His royal daughters. Our desire to be a radiant princess  didn't originate with Walt Disney-it's a desire placed within us by our Maker. He created us to shine with royal beauty. Not to dazzle with a self-promoting beauty; but to be a sparkling reflection of the stunning beauty of our King.

--When Christ overtakes a woman's life and transforms her from the inside out, she becomes truly feminine--a picture of elegance, grace, and loveliness blended with sacrificial, selfless devotion to her King. She becomes a true lady, carrying herself with poise and confidence, yet deflecting all attention away from herself and toward Jesus Christ. She is enchantingly mysterious, holding her inner life sacred and guarding her heart with quiet tenacity.

Noble, breathtaking, captivating, Christ-centered femininity is truly a sight be behold. It's a beauty that does not draw attention to the woman, but to Jesus Christ. It's a radiance that is not dependend upon age, circumstances, of physical enhancements. It's loveliness that flows from deep within--the refreshing beauty of heaven, of a life transformed from the inside out by Jesus Christ.

--Even now He is gently whispering to you, calling you out of the world's darkness and into His marvelous light. "Listen, O daughter, consider and lincline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father's house; so the King will greatly desire your beauty.""

Taken from The Lost Art of True Beauty, Leslie Ludy

{Note from Mich--I highly, highly recommend reading this ENTIRE book--or at least the first couple of chapters. Excellent stuff. (I'm not  100% "pro-Disney", though I love the princess movies and Disneyland is my favorite place on earth.) There ya go. ;)}