Ma’am

Yesterday morning, right before the sun peeked its lovely head out and started shining in through my bedroom window, I was startled out of my sleep by a voice that was certainly standing right next to my bed.

“Ma’am.”

I sat bolt upright because I’m not sure how a man got into my house, let alone my room. I rubbed my eyes and looked around…there was nobody there.

After a moment I smiled. :) “Yes, Lord? Here I am.”

The story of Samuel comes to my mind (1 Samuel 3), when God calls out his name while he was trying to sleep.  He did not yet know the Lord, and thought Eli, whom he lived with, had called him. Three times the Lord said his name and each time he went into Eli’s chambers to see what he wanted. Eli finally told him that it was the Lord calling him and that the next time He calls, Samuel should answer with, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And then the Lord gave him a message.

I didn’t have the wherewithall to ask the Lord to speak to me because I was abruptly woken from my slumber and a bit disoriented. But I did feel peace and let Him know I was there. I’ve wondered if He did have something for me. Why would He wake me from my sleep like that? Abruptly; with one word. Hm.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:13

The salutation clung to my head and heart and complelled me to learn more. I’ve come to know it as a greeting for older women or a verbal gesture of respect. Some people nowadays find it offensive because it makes them feel OLD. Silly culture. Anyways, I pondered what the real, true definition is of this acknowledgement, so I went about seeking…

According to the Random House Dictionary, in Britain, it is a term used to address the queen or a royal princess.

According to the Collins English Dictionary, it says it is used as a title of respect, especially when addressing female royalty.

According to Wikipedia, it is derived from the French madame, which means “my lady.”

And according to 1 Peter 2:4-9…

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” 

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

WOW! This is meaty!

The first thing that stands out is that he called me by name. Just as He has many names (El Roi, the God who sees me; Adonay, master; Prince of Peace; Strong Tower; Husband; Immanuel, etc…), and just as we each go by different names (Mama, Sister, Daughter, Friend, Auntie, etc.), each depicts a certain element of who we are. I’ve been praying for months for a name…what does He see me as? And as I type and seek to know and understand what this is about, it seems He’s answered this prayer. :) At least for today. He called me by name, Ma’am; royal princess; royalty; ‘my lady’; holy and royal priesthood.

This is hard for me to accept. I come from a bottom dwelling existence; shameful, broken, worthless…a failure. I visualize myself walking into a King’s castle and there’s no way they’d let someone like me in. Who am I, anyways? My clothes are soiled and my hair is disheveled. I’ve been adorned with the burden of shame like a filthy, stinnking, soaking wet robe. I make poor decisions and fall short on responsibility and disappoint people all the time. I’m not fit to walk through the front door as a visitor, let alone be a member of the Kingdom! Perhaps I’d be worthy enough to clean the pig pen…

The most amazing thing about His Word, is that it is TRUTH. It never lies. So when He calls me Ma’am, it’s true. It’s not conditional or temporary. It IS what it IS. All I have to do is accept it. Receive it. It’s okay…there’s no contrary agenda’s attached. The only agenda is Love. Still a bit hard to accept through the filters I’ve built up to protect myself…but He’s so gentle and kind. I think it will be okay to accept it. :)

So when His Word says…”…the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”, that means…the ones who trust in Him will never be put to shame. I will never be put to shame. You will never be put to shame. That awful, dreadful, heavy, burdensome robe of shame has been removed. Discarded. There’s no more shame.

When He says, “…you are a chosen people…” , that means…I am a chosen people. You are a chosen people. WE. ARE. CHOSEN! Don’t you love being included? Picked for the team? Invited to a party? Accepted? Chosen out of so many more who we feel might be more fitting the invitation? We’re invited freely into His home and Kingdom. No Shame. Come as you are. I am a Princess. Right now. Royalty. Not because I deserve it or have met some condition or criteria, but because He CHOSE ME. Simply because…I’m worth choosing; worth loving.

 Isn’t it lovely, Ma’am? That we are Chosen? That we are Royal Princesses in the Kingdom? 

Whether we feel like it or not, we ARE His. WE are His. We are HIS!

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