The Glass Slipper Always Fits

Prologue

Once there was a girl who believed that the only way to a man's heart was to be beautiful on the outside; but while she concentrated on improving her outward appearance, she neglected her inner beauty... 

Recently, my daughter and I watched the Cinderella movie (2015) because, YOU KNOW, I love all things romantic. We absolutely loved it. I went in expecting to be swept away by a beautiful fairytale, but what stuck with me far after the credits rolled was a very timely life-lesson.  

You see, after the movie, my daughter and I got into a discussion about the cruelty displayed by Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters. There is one particularly cruel scene where Cinderella is not allowed to have breakfast at the table and she is sent to the kitchen crying. I’ll admit it brought a few tears to my eyes.

My daughter said, “I would have spit in their food. I would have pulled the tablecloth out from under the plates and spilled food all over them.”

“Now, now daughter. What did Cinderella’s mother tell her before she died? Be kind and courageous. Would that have been kind?”

“No, but they deserved it!”

Of course, in my mind, I wasn't thinking spitting or spilling food. I was contemplating Cinderella’s legal options to remove the rotten interlopers from her home. But I wisely kept those thoughts to myself. Why ruin a perfectly good life lesson for my daughter.

I should know by now not to point my “life lesson finger” at someone else because usually the life lesson is intended for me. You see, a few days later instead of waking up like a princess, I woke up channeling the Evil Stepmother. I was physically tired and sore from exercising (no excuses) and I literally spit, spilled, word vomited grumpiness and negativity everywhere I went. That night, as I proceeded to grump, grump, grump, my husband looked at me and said,
“You are going to bed at 7:30! You’re not yourself.”

“But, but, but…”

“NOPE! GO TO BED AND WAKE UP IN A BETTER MOOD!”

So I took the walk of shame to my room. I knew that he was right. I could feel the negativity infecting my soul. So I got into bed, asked the Lord to forgive me, and thankfully woke up refreshed.

That morning, I read the following scripture:

Proverbs 11:17

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.

Or in another translation

Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.

That scripture brought to mind my favorite scene in the movie, when the Evil Stepmother crushes and breaks Cinderella’s glass slipper. Terrible, I know! You should have heard the gasps of outrage from all the little preschool girls in the audience. The stepmother was attempting to rob Cinderella of her happy ending. Of course, goodness prevailed, the slipper fit, the girl won the prince, and the stepmother lost. But before riding off into the sunset, Cinderella has a choice. She can either walk away gloating over her victory or she can be merciful and forgive. Cinderella looks back at her defeated stepmother and says, “I forgive you.”   

At the moment, Proverbs 11:17 came to life for me because kindness rewarded Cinderella. Her kindness is what attracted the prince and kindness is what allowed her to give up the hurt from the past. The stepmother’s cruelty is what ultimately destroyed her. She stayed imprisoned by her own bitterness and hatred.

I will, unfortunately, still have days when I mess up and cruelty comes out instead of kindness. I'm a work-in-progress. Prayerfully, those days will be few and far between because cruelty really does weigh down and destroy the soul. But the awesome thing about God is that even when I mess up, He still loves and forgives me. His Holy Spirit reminds me, “I have made you better than an evil stepmother. I have made you in my image, empowered by my Spirit's character. You are my child so act like the princess that you are.”  

So ladies, if you have days like me when you wake up resembling the Evil Stepmother, letting cruelty win instead of kindness, remember God loves you even when you mess up. His forgiveness is freely given - when we ask for it. His mercies new every morning. So dust off your crown that has been bestowed upon you by The King of Kings, place it on your head to remind you who you are in Him - His princess. And slip on your glass slippers because, in God’s kingdom, they always fit.

Love,

Yolanda

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" Lamentations 3:22-24