I was taller than most of my classmates for a long time. By junior high...they started to grow, but until that time, I felt tall, too physically mature, awkward and out of place. Slouching was an attempt to fit in with the crowd.
Funny to think I graduated high school one of the short girls. God grows us each to our full height in his own time. For a brief season...when I was tall for my age, I slouched. It lasted five minutes. Mama Ina Mae would have none of that!
In our house, you had to stand up straight...shoulders back and chin up. "Stand up straight". I wonder if April and Matt heard it as often as I did in the elementary years. She cured me. Good posture became a habit. Today, I am grateful for her tenacity in teaching that lesson. Good posture has some health benefits.
I love this image: "Chin up princess or the crown slips."
Mama called us "Princess" more than she did any other endearment at home. It was sweet. I know now that a mother's eyes see past the dirt, the windswept mess of hair and the dirty, bare feet. A mother really does see a bit of "Cinderella" in every mess of a little girl. At my house, we were expected to behave in a certain way.
A princess should stand up straight...with an air of dignity...no matter the mayhem in the midst of life's struggles. We must never forget who we are. We belong to the King of Kings. No need for the "pea" test if your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We can live with the confidence that we are cherished, protected and loved deeply. That is a reason to stand tall, even in life's storms.
Do not forget you are a Child of the Most High God.
"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith." - 1 John 5:4
Today, I am grateful Mama harped about posture...it keeps the crown from slipping.
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