“Dress-up Dreams”

Little girls love to play dress-up. It’s every girl’s rite of passage to want to be like her mother–to try on her mother’s oversized high-heels; antique pearl strands and clip-on dangly pearl earrings; crimson lipstick and rhinestoned combs to adorn her strands with sparkling glamour. “Just like mama.” A mother slips a dress over her daughter’s head and smiles as her eyes twinkle with wonder at her reflection in the mirror. Her gaze travels back and forth to search for her likeness in her mother’s yellowed wedding photograph.
I remember playing dress-up and pretending I understood what it meant to be a wife and mother. Teachers would ask: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would smile and say: “I want to be married. I’m gonna be a wife and a mommy.” Why, I thought that all I needed was a kitchen set, some plastic food, a baby doll, and a husband (he was invisible, of course. He was always make-believe.)
I reminisce on my childhood–my dress-up dreams– and I realize that God graciously granted my heart’s innocent desires. He fulfilled my wish! Now, I have a real husband who loves me and four beautifully unique children who are arrows in our quiver. As an adult, I no longer have to play dress-up and go through the motions. I am learning more everyday on how to truly be the wife and mother that God desires me to be. I search for Christ in my heart’s reflection. While the dress-up game is packed away in my memory chest, I no longer seek to imitate my mother. I seek to imitate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I thank You, Lord, for all that I am and all that You’ve placed into my hands. Thank You for the blessing of my marriage and family. Lord, I know that not every little girl will get to grow up, get married, and bear children; but for those who You see fit to grant them these blessings, I pray You will instill a longing for You in their heart. Father, You are our Maker and Husband. Show us Your vision for marriage clearly. Write the vision in our hearts as it is written in Habbakuk 2:2-3 that it be visible–a live testimony in action. That we may run with Your vision and tell it to other young women and wives. Father, show us to be an example of the Titus 2 wives You call us to be. Lord God, show me how to surrender to my husband as unto You in all things according to Your will. Let us not grow weary or faint in serving our earthly king. Thank You for planting this extraordinary seed within my heart many years ago. I thank You for granting the innocent wishes of my heart. May the fullness of Your love and fruits of the Spirit ripen to burst and overflow upon my husband’s, our children’s, and others’ lives. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Your precious Son Jesus’ name, Amen. I love You, Lord.

*Matthew 6:33 AMP~ “33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

*1 Corinthians 13:11-13 AMP ~ “11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known andunderstood [by God].
13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Being a wife is my first ministry–my service unto the Lord as I put on and portray Christ’s love. Being a parent is my second ministry–unto Him as I impress His ways upon their youthful hearts. Encouraging other married couples–using God’s Word along with my experiences– is my newest ministry. This is the ministry I share with you via this blog site and my Facebook page
Cassandra’s Marriage Mints
as well as with my fellow Christian Marriage Bloggers Association members. Thank you for visiting with me!

Be blessed!!!
~Cassandra Salamone

This is Day 5 in the CMBA 1/2 Blogging Marathon to post for 13 consecutive days in October.