Happily Ever After

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be a princess. For as long as I can remember, I've been dreaming of the day when Prince Charming would ride up on his horse and carry me off into the sunset. I dreamed of happily ever after where we would live in a beautiful castle on a hill with plenty of room to raise little princes and princesses. As a child, I imagined my prince to be a combination of the men in my life: strong like my daddy, funny like grandpa (bonus points if he could wiggle his ears), and handsome like Malibu Ken.
Well, I'm all grown up, and the afore-mentioned prince has yet to show his face in the fairy tale I call my life. I've kissed a lot of potential princes along the way who turned out to be icky frogs. I've given my heart away in hopes that I would receive the same in return. Always trying to earn love from whoever was willing to give it to me. But all I ended up with was a broken heart and shattered dreams.
What I have failed to realize until church in the park last Sunday, is that no person on earth is going to fulfill all my needs, and I'll never be able to accept love from anyone until I can acknowledge that Jesus truly sees me as beautiful, lovable and amazing. He is the lover of my soul, my true Prince, my Knight in shining armor. He is the one who makes us ready for true, lasting, human love. And He is the one that meets our deepest needs when human love falls short. No horse, no sunset, no castle... just the Prince of my dreams, and the most priceless gift I'll ever be given.