You are Blessed and Highly Favored

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

Cinderella is hands down one of my favorite fairytales. I’ve watched this enchanting Disney fairytale too many times to count, read the story dozens of times, and watched various movie versions but never quite thought of God in or having anything to do with the story. One day I watched the latest Cinderella big screen movie (excellent by the way) and I thought profoundly of this fairytale and how I could see God ALL. UP. IN. IT.

Once I recognized God in this story it was just another beautiful revelation to me about how amazing He is and how much bigger He is than our problems.

Let’s think about Cinderella on a deep level. Not just on the level of: she lives happily after but let’s focus on her real testimony. Cinderella’s childhood started out lovely, she was blessed with both parents who adored and loved her deeply. This adoration from her parents created a beautiful happy girl inside and out. But like most of us Cinderella suffered a devastating loss, her mother passed away.

Thank God, she still had her father but it wasn’t long after that he remarried to provide a balanced home. After a few years of marriage, tragedy revealed its face again—her father had died.

It seemed like Cinderella just couldn’t get a break. She suffered two huge losses and no other family to turn to but her cold and cruel step-mother and step-sisters. Besides having no one to console or comfort her through these difficult times, she was commanded to give up her room, live in the attic and forced to be a servant in her own home. Cinderella was abused and neglected. She was ridiculed and overworked.

But Cinderella was also strong and possessed the right attitude.

Every day she handled her business and completed her chores; she took care of her responsibilities. She kept doing what she was supposed to despite the unfairness of it all. She was kind when no one was kind to her. She was patient when no one was patient with her. She was forgiving when it was difficult to forgive.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

In the end Cinderella was blessed beyond measure, not only did she find true love, she found love with the King of her Kingdom. Cinderella would now be a Queen going to live in her palace, with her handsome King, where she will be served and catered to.

Once the movie ended, I thought, Wow, look at God. Look how He blessed Cinderella. After all the pain, hurt, and loss she endured she kept a positive attitude: always singing, always smiling, always patient, always kind, compassionate, and sweet. And look at how He saved her. Look at how He thrust her to a new level in her life. God is Good! All the time!

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

That’s what God wants to do for us. I realize Cinderella is only a fairytale but how many of us can relate to her testimony? How many of us have felt or feel like Cinderella in our daily lives? And how many of us are patient enough to let God do His will in our lives? Trust Him. My point in using this fairytale is: no matter how big your problem seems, what you’re going through, how long it takes… God is bigger than all of it.

God works behind the scenes. We have no idea what He’s doing on our behalf–right now. He can turn a situation around in an instant. Do you think Cinderella was expecting a Royal Ball and Fairy Godmother? Um, No. She wasn’t. But those were blessings that furthered her along into her destiny. It’s the same with our lives. These problems we face are nothing in comparison to what He can do for us and through us. God is bigger than our problems.

Trust and believe that.

Every day we should wake up feeling blessed and highly favored. And every day we should wait expectantly on the Lord. You never know what he’s going to do. You never know when that day will be your day. Keep the right attitude. Trust Him. Stay in faith. Keep doing and being your best despite the circumstances.

In this life we have to be resilient, we have to keep striving forward even when we don’t see anything moving; we have to keep running the race. We cannot allow people, circumstances, and situations to dictate our feelings, mind, or life. Never give up. Remain strong in Him. He is our salvation.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:3

Things may be impossible with man but not with God.