The Truth About Fairy Tales

As little girls we have enjoyed many wonderful tales of fantasy with princesses, prince charmings and enemies to overcome leading to a glorious ending of "and they lived happily ever-after".  The princess is always perfectly beautiful, the prince is brave and handsome, and the ending is always full of wedding day celebration and promise of love forevermore. 

In reflection of all of the fairytale stories I have seen in all my many years as a girl (we all still have one inside, you know), I have noticed that these tales were perhaps a way of teaching us to have a hope for a future beyond the life we live everyday.  Let me show you what I mean.

In centuries past, families did not have libraries of books, cds and dvds, to provide inspiration or entertainment.  They spent time carrying the stories of their family history from generation to generation by sitting around the fire and telling and re-telling the history so it would not get lost.  The same was done in the age of the Bible.  The Israelites were repeatedly told to tell the stories and testimonies of what God did to the next generation and they would continue it also.  In this way they would have comfort knowing Jehovah always watches over them and loves and delivers them.  Those testimonies were of truth, not fantasy.  Real history of their family.

Jesus spent time using stories to show the Truth of what our relationship with Him was to be like and Who the Father is.  Jesus used parables and they were effective in helping people to understand the character of God.

So let's look back at these fairytales that we have made disney rich over.  Come on, I know that there are disney princesses in your closets somewhere.   First we find the princess, who doesnt know she is a princess or if she knows she is a princess, she doesnt identify with that.  (Okay, we have now involved every woman young and old on the planet.)  Then of course there is the evil characters that bring trouble to the princess being able to be free, live as she should, or find true love. (This character can take many forms, cause we have many enemies in life, sometimes it can even be a mirror of ourselves because we are our own enemies much of the time.)  Then through some searching and sacrifice appears, the handsome prince to save the day and bring true love to the princess.  (Sounds like a Savior to me, girls).  Then there comes a wedding.

The power of fairytales, the truth about them, lies in their ability to show a story of hope and enduring love.  But we have the opportunity to experience this in life for real, no fantasy.  God sees us as princesses, not in the negative conotation that spoiled indulgent rich girls have made it out to be, but in the precious and priceless love of His life.  The girl that He desires to be full of His grace, love and beauty.  She has the whole world at her beckoning as she comes to follow His ways.  God sent the perfect prince for His princesses.  Jesus sacrificed far more than any story could tell.  He gave His life for the princesses.  He is the example of everlasting love and care.  The enemies we all face are many, but with this Prince of Peace we always overcome.

The True fairy tale would not be done without the promise of a glorious wedding where the marriage is fulfilled and the world is transformed to what was the intention all along.  That wedding day is approaching.  The Bride is preparing her most beautiful whites because the Bridegroom has brought the Truth of salvation and God will be lifted up. 

So the next time you watch a disney story - allow yourself to see the characters as they should be.  The real princesses, the True Prince and the hope of the grand Wedding to come.  That is the only place where the ending can lead to happiness.  Oh, and yes, true princesses do roar!!!

This Side of Unforgiveness

It has been a little while since I was here but it has been an important time of reflection.  God created such wonderous gifts and abilities inside each of us.  He has such awesome plans for each life as conception takes place.  Think even of that word -"conception".  We think of it as the time when the sperm and the egg meet.  But let's look a little closer.  Perhaps, it really is the moment when the "concept" of who God designed for you to be greets the life giving energy He created within the design of procreation to release the beauty of you into this world.  All the joy He must have as He places within each one gifts that He laid aside just for you.  The smile on His face as he places gifts of love, song, music, movement, artistry, compassion, intelligence, and so on and so on.  He loves us each so dearly and as we come into the womb, He desires a full life, an abundant life for each one even though He knows there are always going to be bumps, bruises and sometimes damaging obstacles along the way.  But the Creator is always near and though through those times we can not see Him, Jesus is forever there to encourage us to keep on, dont give up, survive, rise above and persevere.

For the last couple of weeks, I was instructed by my mentors to write a list of everyone and everything that I needed to forgive.  Now as a Pastor and a Counselor I have to say - ummm - really???  I gotta do what?  I have already done these things.  But wise mentors always call you on your "crap" you know what I mean.  So I reluctantly obeyed and began a list.  I thought well I know I have some anger here and some hurt there, but the list will be short.  I have already done this kind of thing before and moved on.  Little did I know that I had taken up residence on the wrong side of unforgiveness and my soul and my spirit were suffering because of it.

As I prayed and began working on the list, I began to see some roots of despair and hurt that were still very much alive and well in me. They are as twisted vining roots wrapped all around my heart, my vital organs and were keeping me in grave clothes unable to really be free.  My unwillingness to look at them gave them life and power to hold me down.  3John 1:2 says that we prosper as our souls prosper.  If our souls are broken and smothered and dying so then is our life, our health and our spirits.  It is the healing of the soul that brings the freedom in Christ.

I found I had dealt with some stuff with my father and all of that, but I did not realize the pain I felt and the hurt from my dysfunctional relationship with my mother.  Pain, hurt and floods of memories and emotions came to the surface and the lies of shame and unworthiness washed up with them.  This side of unforgiveness is painful.  Living on this side of unforgiveness is not what God wants for anyone.  It is indeed a journey and it will continue, but I am giving notice today - I am packing up and moving.  This side of unforgiveness is not where I (or anyone else) belong.  The lion-hearted girl will roar again in a way she has never known before.