Once Upon a Time

It's no secret that I am a sucker for fairy tales. My favorite fairy tale of all times is Cinderella. I remember seeing the movie for the first time; when she sang "If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true" it resonated deeply with me even though I was just a little girl. From then on, I was a Cinderella fanatic.

My office is chock-full of Cinderella memorabilia, our wedding was Cinderella-themed and it's not unusual to hear me humming Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo. In fact, for Christmas my dad gave me a hand-crafted leather Bible cover with Cinderella on the front. It was made just for me by an inmate at the prison. (that's another story for another post) As much as I love Cinderella, though, I have to say that I was kind of disappointed when I saw that my mom and sister also got Bible covers but theirs were decorated with beautiful crosses and a Bible verse. I thought my Bible cover looked superficial and trite compared to theirs.

But then I found this verse:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Well isn't that just the perfect verse for Cinderella? She lost her mother without ever knowing her. Then her father died. And then endured jeering, teasing, and underserved punishment by her "evil" step-mother and step-sisters. She did it all with a smile and a song. In the end, she got the prince, a tiara and the happily ever after we all desire.

She was called Cinderella because, though the Disney version leaves this part out, she tended the fire, slept among the cinders, and was covered in ashes. Made me think of the Steven Curtis Chapman song:

Out of these ashes... beauty will rise

For we know, joy is coming in the morning...
in the morning, beauty will rise

This revelation really made me consider my Bible cover differently. Then just a few days ago, as I was closing my Bible, I realized that the Cinderella story is the classic example of a...yep, you guessed it, a transplant!


She was a rich baron's daughter who was transplanted into servanthood/slavery and then transplanted into the castle where she married her prince.

Tears literally filled my eyes as I realized that the childhood story I've clung to my entire life has been so much more. It's been a subtle message from God. We are all children of the Most High King. We are enslaved by our sin. But one day, the Prince of Peace will come and take us home to our castle in the sky. That's so much better than some silly glass slipper.

And I love my Bible cover more than ever now.