Why are the days of princesses and castles so romanticized? In reality, who would yearn to go back to the days of outdoor plumbing, overpowering body odor and the once-a-year bath day?
So, why do I love Cinderella stories?
You know the kind. A beautiful girl lost in the ashes of poverty, imprisoned by an evil one, living a life full of fear. A well-meaning fairy cleans her up, dresses her in a pretty gown that's not her own, and sends her off to seek the love of the handsome prince. And find it she does! He loves her so much, in fact, it frightens her. Feeling she is unworthy, and knowing she is not what she appears to be, she desperately flees his presence, leaving behind one small token of her hope.
But, thankfully, the story doesn't end there. The prince doesn't wait for her to come back to him. No! He scours the kingdom looking for his beautiful lost one. He knows and loves everything about her, from every hair on her head all the way down to her shoe size.
Finally, just before all is lost, he finds her, seals her with a kiss and takes her away to his kingdom to live happily ever after.
In essence, Cinderella stories are nothing more than an ancient tale retold. A story created before creation itself. Our Beloved finds us in the ashes and truly loves us. Should we choose to run, He stops at nothing to search until He finds us. Through His perfect love, we are changed and, eventually, taken away with Him to live happily ever after.
Why do I love Cinderella stories? Because it's my story.
I wish I was more like my dog. She's always upbeat and positive, energetic and enthusiastic. She makes friends easily and forgives even easier.
But, I guess the thing I like best about her is her willingness to be teachable. I'm always a bit amazed each time she obeys a command. The other day I asked her to stay, which she did immediately. Then I promptly forgot all about her as I got distracted doing something else. Finally, my husband pointed out that she was still "staying" although several minutes had gone by. Amazingly, she was waiting for my next command!
I wish I could be more like that. When my Master asks me to SIT at His feet, why do I impatiently explain that there is so much to do today and I just don't have time? Why don't I instantly obey when He asks me to STAY out of sin, or STAY in His will? When will I learn to HEEL beside the Master instead of running off to chase squirrels, or, worse, pulling ahead of Him rather than letting Him lead?
Maybe one day I'll be more like my dog. But, right now, I'm thankful I don't have to be that perfect. He knows I'm in training and He accepts me right where I am. So, for now, I'll just COME to my Master and LIE DOWN at His feet.
My white rose bush bloomed only once this summer, yielding three perfect red roses. For eight years, it has dutifully produced white roses, but this year it must have decided it had had enough. It was time for a change.
Sometimes in life, we get thrown a curve ball, something we just weren't expecting. Like finding a red rose where a white one should be, it may be a beautiful surprise. Or, it might not. You might walk outside to find that your white roses are covered in some sort of black spotted fungus.
Life is not linear. Today may look like yesterday, but that doesn't mean tomorrow will bear any resemblance to it. The question is, should I accept only blessings from the Master Gardener's hand? Or, am I willing to trust that His ways are not my ways, that His will is not my will?
My response is the important thing. Do I rejoice with the good, but fall apart when I find the...well, not so good? I may plant, fertilize and water rose bushes every day, but that doesn't mean I will always reap what I have sown. The aphids may still take over and the lady bugs, that I bought to fight them off, may decide to fly off to greener pastures, or, eh, rose bushes.
So, what is the proper response to life's surprises? Do I just give up, since I can't really control anything? Or is all of life just a moment by moment reminder that there's Someone bigger behind the scenes, a Master Gardener with a master plan. And, if I just keep tending the garden, eventually, I will see His hand.
Perhaps, a red rose blooming on a white rose bush is just His gentle, loving way of saying, "Trust Me, I've got this covered."
I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I've acted and danced before many, and sang karaoke as loudly as possible all alone. I've drawn and painted what I've seen, and sculpted what I've felt. I've loved many and lost some. I've slogged through the lowest valleys and rejoiced at the highest heights.
But none of these things are who I am. C.S. Lewis says that this life is just the cover and the title page. My real story has yet to begin.
And so, though I am a princess, a daughter of the Most High King of Kings, yet I am a pilgrim, a wayfarer, a traveler making my way slowly towards page one...
