The book shares that "an ongoing, passionate romance with our true Prince is the foundation for success in every other area of life." Our Prince loves us more than we can every comprehend or imagine. Think about the awesome wonder of the truth that Jesus Christ poured out His blood and died a painful death He did not deserve-all to save us from our sins and allow us to be His lily-white princess, His spotless bride for all of eternity. We can't forget that His sacrifice on the cross was not just meant to keep us out of hell, it was also meant to make an ongoing, passionate, intimate love story with Him possible.
I feel like so many girls today are either a) consumed with the idea/desire of a romantic relationship or b) consumed with actually being in a romantic relationship. Ultimately, however, our relationship with our true Prince should be the primary concern and all other relationships should be secondary to the intimacy we experience with God. As we pursue God and God alone, all our other needs will be met and our desires satisfied. Leslie shares "as we dwell on Jesus Christ, He fills our hearts with His desires for our lives, and we are completely fulfilled by Him" and "only out of intimacy with our heavenly Lover can the beauty of a God-written human love story be experienced." We should always delight ourselves completely in the amazing love our our true Prince, and as we focus on Him, we will be more than fulfilled. We should spend every moment of every day delighting in our Prince. "The world may fear, but we always rest in the knowledge that even our death is a doorway into His presence!" Seriously, how amazing is that...makes me want to die right now!
Furthermore, the book has three sections about "Studying Manhood" and shares how we, as women, can help shape the men in our lives into becoming true men of God--not just boys who play at manhood but Warrior Poets who live it. Eric Ludy shares the role that women play in helping guys in their pursuit of manhood and shares that "the words of my princess makes me a prince." In other words, if we hold the men in our life to a higher standard and encourage them to be all that God created them to be, they will respond in a positive way such that our expectations become their inspirations. I loved it when Eric said, "manhood is at its best when it can make a woman feel both protected in her innocence and secure in the slow warming of her heart. It's all a part of becoming the warriors God calls men to be." Additionally, "married boys are shaped into married men when they finally realize that the buried treasure isn't the act of sex. The buried treasure is in knowing, loving, and sharing the most intimate aspects of life with that woman sleeping next to him every night."
I loved the part of the book that discussed "Feminine Mystique" and discovering the lost art of mystery. This section described guarding your heart and living completely differently from today's hold-nothing back expectations. It defined feminine mystique as "the steady, unyielding strength and confidence that flows from knowing our Prince intimately and protecting our relationship with Him at all costs." The book discusses the importance of not allowing a significant other to have your heart--or even see inside your heart--until you are absolutely certain he is worthy of such a scared gift. I loved when Leslie described how Eric asked her to marry him by saying "the times we have spent together have only ignited my desire to spend my life discovering more and more about you." It's so important for us to preserve the treasure of who we are and keep ourselves self-apart for the one who proves he is worthy of such a gift. The treasure of being set-apart, of being pure, innocent, and lily-white is so special and we can't just give it away to anyone. Instead, we must be guarded and practice the lost art of mystique in order to protect our hearts and save them for a man who will treat them like the treasures that they are. "When it comes to relationships, let this be your goal: to protect your feminine mystique at all costs and wait for a man who will guard your sacred treasure with his life." Furthermore, "a relationship that leads us closer to our Prince and carefully protects our inner sanctuary is the key to discovering romance as it was truly intended to be--a little taste of heaven on earth."
The author also eloquently discussed some of the reactions one may receive from living a set-apart life and shared that "Maybe no one in your life will understand your decision to set your life aside for your future husband. But don't let the irritated comments or uncomprehending stares of the world around you deter you from your goal. A lily does not try to resemble or imitate the thorns around her. She is focused on being who she was created to be--completely set apart for her heroic Lover." I just loved this and found it reassuring to hear. Furthermore, I was reminded that we have an enemy bent on destroying us, but we can learn to take everything our enemy could use to harm us and allow our Prince to transform it into greater spiritual depth and strength. "As set-apart young women, everything that bombards our lives can be an opportunity for a greater imprint of Christ upon our souls. The battle is found in every moment, with every choice, and with every inclination of the heart. If we learn to take these moments, yield to our Prince, and slam the door on our enemy, what glorious possibilities for growth await us each and every day!"
Ultimately, our relationship with our Heavenly Prince MUST be our number one priority. God treasures us as His princesses. "The King of the universe, the Creator of all things, the Ruler of the heavens and earth has said that you are valuable, a priceless treasure." Only after true intimacy with our Prince can we experience true intimacy in our relationships with our future spouse as it was meant to be--a reflection of our love for our Prince. The intimacy we will experience in marriage, should that be God's plan for us, is merely an overflow of the intimacy we experience with our Prince.
Living a set-apart life will not likely be easy. Oftentimes, we won't be understood or appreciated by the world around us, often even the Christian world. The good news is that we're not on this journey alone! Our heroic Prince is with us every step of the way and He is tenderly shaping us into the women He created us to be. In His presence is the fullness of joy. Let's live for His applause alone. Let's fall deeply in love with Him. Let's give Him the pen and allow Him to script the story of our lives. Let's trust in Him and rest easy in knowing that He is always in control. Let's let Him be God and let's get out of the way!
