Friday, February 25, 2011

Knight and Shining Armor


All of our lives we are inundated with fairytales.  Sometimes there's singing, sometimes they are dark and scary; but there is ALWAYS a Hero and a Damsel in Distress.  Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella; all contain young, defenseless females and a Prince to sweep them off their feet.  A man to fix all their problems, including (but not limited to) a super-mean Step Mother, a poison apple, and death by spinning wheel. 
Lessons to be extracted from these stories: Women should be beautiful, graceful, and fragile. Men should be strong, wealthy and brave.

Although I have always been independent, the ideas from these stories still seeped into my subconscious.  However; there are some genuine truths, such as, every woman wants to be desired, cherished, and taken care of by her husband.  For men, they want to be needed, respected and appreciated by their wives.  In the modern world, men do not ride into battle, and the women do not reside in a tower waiting to be rescued. Anyhow, we are still trying to find something from each other.Waiting for the one to complete the other.  Think about all the love songs and poems written by men about or to women.  Or the endless ways women try to get attention from men. 

I remember when Josh and I were dating... his friends would come up to me and ask, "What have you done to Josh?  He is so happy!  He has completely changed since he met you."  I didn't understand what they meant.  The only Josh I had ever met was happy.  And completely captivated with me.  Of course I didn't realize that Josh was looking to me for all of his fulfillment until after we were married, and I don't think Josh did either.  But when he recognized that I could never be everything he needed me to be, that I was human, he became angry. 


Every story needs a Knight In Shining Armor. Some of us are trying to be the Knight for someone, others are waiting for him to show up.  But what if he already came?  What if he didn't look much like a knight, and he didn't wear armor?  Would you recognize him?  What if he were so human, so humble that you missed it?  What if you were/are the Damsel in Distress?  And a man came to save you from all that wanted to destroy you?  And what if that happened 2,000 years ago? 

We are referred to many times in scripture (male and female) as a bride.

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Revelation 21:9

And our Hero?  He was born in an animal's food trough, never owned land, or established wealth.  He was not dashing, debonair or charming.  But he has undoubtedly swept me off my feet.  He will never leave me.  He will never break my heart.  And he has fulfilled, and given freely, ALL promises that mankind could possibly desire: immortality, peace, blessing, hope, freedom, and forgiveness.

When our Prince returns...

"...the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength." Revelation 1:13-16

Now that...is what I call shining armor.

 

No comments: