This week on a Google+ Hangout and then again on Imperfect Wives Radio, the conversation turned to Cinderella dreams and happily-ever-after endings.
It really must be God’s theme for my week because I also found myself in the Disney store with Sophia one day. When we walked out, Sophia swung a bag containing Cinderella and Prince Charming. Her free time has been filled with Cinderella dreams and conversations about her own wedding one day. {Her Prince Charming is still nameless and faceless and that’s great with me, as she’s only 8 years old!}
Late one night this week, my 21-year old son asked me if I believed in happily-ever-after endings in life. This simple question led to a great conversation about life…here on earth and in heaven.
I believe that God has created us with the desire for happily-ever-afters. Those types of stories have been favorites through the ages. (Why do you think Disney has been so successful, romantic comedies are blockbusters, romance books are best-sellers and videos of marriage proposals are so well-viewed on YouTube?)
You can see this desire in the faces of brides and grooms as they recite their vows and promise to always love their chosen one to the exclusion of everyone else on the planet, even when better is overtaken by worse, sickness replaces health, and richer is nowhere to be seen.
Those are big promises made on a day when the future seems incredibly bright and hope is at an all-time high.
Eventually, the “after” comes and brings things that are not quite so happy. We begin to doubt that we will have our own happily-ever-after.
But wait a minute…in fairy tales, our prince and princess have some difficulty to overcome. In the face of a challenge, their love stays strong, they attack their problem (and not each other!), and eventually triumph. Then their story ends and we are left with the belief that everything else goes well for them forever.
We experience victory in a circumstance and life returns to normal. And then the next hurdle presents itself. And the next. And the next…you know exactly what I’m talking about!
When those challenges come like they do, we figure that happily-ever-after is for someone else, but not for us.
I want to encourage you to think differently about your life, your marriage, and yourself. Cinderella’s story (at least in the first movie) ends at the wedding. Disney has had the insight to make a couple of sequels which show Cinderella and her Prince facing and overcoming more challenges. That’s where you are, dear friend.
Each difficulty you face is another opportunity to have victory in Jesus. God intends for your life to be a series of happily-ever-afters. Don’t allow yourself to stay focused on the trial. We all have them and I would venture to say that all of our tests last longer than we’d like. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) puts it this way:
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
The Message calls that triumphal procession “one perpetual victory parade.” I like that.
In case you think that this can’t possibly be God’s plan for your marriage, I’d like to remind you of Ephesians 5, which compares earthly marriage to Christ and the church. Let’s face it: Jesus and us…that’s a no-fooling happily-ever-after story! And that’s what God says is to be the model for your marriage.
Now do you see? I hope so. I’m praying that God will reveal that to you today and that you will begin to use your faith to have “one perpetual victory parade” in your marriage! That kind of relationship will speak volumes about the goodness of power of God!
That’s what I want. How about you?
If you answered yes to that question, please pray and ask the Lord to show you what to do to have your series of happily-ever-afters and start doing those things today!
With love,
Rebecca
photo via everystockphoto.com by Madzik
