Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Why Not Me?

So, I borrowed a few movies from my dear friend Maria here recently. I cannot say that they are for my children, for they are Disney princess movies and I have two rugged, crazy boys who couldn't care less about the romantic adventures of beautifully dressed, gracefully singing, impossibly perfect damsels with glorious hair and happily-ever-afters. Nope, those movies are for yours truly. I have watched one a day for the past four days now. Thanks to these sappy, sweet movies from my early childhood, my love for all things girly, princess-y, and sing-y has been reawakened.      I    need    a    GIRL
  When God deems me worthy to bring forth a girl-child, I will be ready. Everything I need to know about being and raising a girl, I have gleaned from Disney princess movies. Well, from the Bible and Disney princess movies. Here, dear friends, are life lessons learned from watching Disney Princess movies:


1. God's not the only one who loves a gentle and quiet spirit.
 When you think of the classic Disney leading ladies, a few character qualities stand out that, quite frankly, are looked down upon by modern society. Sweet, soft-spoken, patient to a fault; these and many more are character traits that princesses like Cinderella possess by the boat load. They are qualities that are discouraged by modern, feminist ideals. Even my husband, after watching snippits of Cinderella with me, asked in a befuddled way, "Why does she put up with her stepmom's crap?" A modern woman would stand up for herself, promote her individuality, and refuse to be anyone's second-hand citizen. But there's sweet Cinderella, humming happily as she goes about doing her unfair workload. Why?
   1 Peter 3:3-4  "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 
Cinderella was not just lovely because she was lovely, her inner beauty was astonishing noticeable. Sure, the prince noticed her firstly because of her shimmering dress, petite silhouette, and strange, ambiguous hairstyle (seriously, what it that, a french twist?), but there were plenty of beauties attending his ball. What must have captivated him during their first sweet, romantic waltz was her inner beauty. Besides, no matter how gorgeous a gal is, everyone ages.
  Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised"

2. Love, when it's true and pure, can be life-altering and transformative.
 Disney princesses fall in love fast and hard and unrepentantly. The average time frame of a princesses' romance, from first sight to admissions of undying love, ranges from about a week to one stinkin' dance. And when this true love hits home, it shakes stuff up. Peasants become royalty, mermaids gain legs, and hideous beasts are returned to their impossibly handsome, princely selves. Sure, that's all fairy tale transformations, but I have seen what true love can do in real life, and it's impressive.
  1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
 
3. Change can be good, but change can be bad.
This principle is pretty basic, friends. If there is fault in your life, if there are traits that clearly need changing, then change them.  Christian women and men should be continually striving to be more like Christ, who is, among other things, the perfect example of perfect love.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 
 That being said, it is not okay to let others change you for the worse, in any way, ever. As I mentioned in the previous Disney Princess truth, love can and often does bring about change, but true love only encourages growth and maturity, never degradation and immorality. Name one princess who gradually, over the course of her movie, became less of a good person in any way for the sake of her love. None. See? It's bad. So don't let it happen.
  And, for the sake of time and because I'm getting tired of typing, on this stupidly sticky keyboard, I give you D.P.T. #4: I want to have their hair.
I often get compliments on my hair. I thank my mother for that. And yet, I'm still often not happy with my overall physical appearance, especially my hair. I can thank Disney for that. I know that I will never have the tiny, perfectly proportionate build that all Disney princesses have, but I can strive mightily for that kind of hair!  

  So, friends, as you can see, I am clearly ready to raise my own little princess. With Biblical and fairy tale truths such as these tucked away in my parenting philosophy, I can (hopefully) raise my little girl(s) right, so that someday their prince will come and romance them away on a magic carpet ride of true love! Also, I plan on teaching my sons to be some lucky girls' Prince Charmings. You're welcome, future spouses of my sons.

 Be blessed, fair readers!
 

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