My house sparkles! Lest you get the wrong idea, it’s certainly not because my house is spotless, and every surface is polished until it gleams. To understand what I’m talking about, you’ll need to go back a month or two with me…
While shopping on vacation in Hilton Head Island a few weeks before Christmas, I looked through the racks of children’s clothes to see if they had some cute items I could buy for my grandbabies. One of my discoveries led to an “ooh” when I found the most gorgeous Elsa princess dress.
Now this wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill princess dress. The fabrics were amazing. It was a beautiful shade of blue, with a hoop and crinolines that made the dress poof out in a manner that would make a Southern belle swoon with delight.
I could just imagine how majestic the extended train on the back of the dress would look, and the sparkling details and trim were oh-so-pretty. I knew that any of my sweet princesses (ages 5, 3 and 2) would be thrilled with it. Anna, Ava and Eden love to play dress-up.
I looked at the price tag. Yes, it was as expensive as I thought it would be–but it was on sale enough that I could rationalize buying it for Christmas. And it was Ava’s size. I mean, how could I resist?
And then I realized there were two more princess dresses on the sale rack. My excitement rose as I realized all three dresses were the right sizes for my sweet girls. I added some Elsa hair and jewelry for each one and left the store with a happy grandmama heart.
I couldn’t wait for them to open their dresses. I knew I’d hit the jackpot when my oldest granddaughter, Anna, squealed with joy when she opened her box. I’d never heard her do that before. The girls wanted to put them on immediately, and in a few minutes, three of the most gorgeous princesses you’ve ever seen were holding court in my family room.
They wore their finery for the rest of the evening as they played and ran through our house. And then I discovered something. It seems that much of the sparkle on the dresses came from glitter. Yes, glitter that fell off those beautiful dresses with every step that Princess Anna, Princess Ava and Princess Eden took.
My husband and I laughed together that night after they left as we walked through our new glitter house. It was on everything–floors, furniture, sinks, walls and bedspreads.
It’s been weeks now. I’ve cleaned. I’ve dusted. I’ve vacuumed. But you know what? I keep finding sparkles, sweet reminders that my girls have been there. Sweet reminders of the joy on those precious little faces as the girls swished royally through my house.
I don’t have a princess dress–but I’m the daughter of a King. My heart’s prayer is that I’ll spread sparkles of Jesus as I walk through life. That I’ll leave behind traces of Him that will remind others of our amazing God.
There’s a messed-up world out there that needs to see the sparkle of Jesus. Will you join me today and ask God to help us leave a trail of left-behind sparkles for Him wherever we go?
Dear Father,
I want to sparkle and shine for You. Help me to study my Bible, to talk with You, and to listen to You so that my life will reflect Your glory to those who need to know about You. Amen.
