I took my daughters to experience the new Cinderella movie this weekend and I cannot even begin to communicate how powerful this movie is and how much we all loved it! It is so beautifully told and was filled with so many biblical undertones that we can hardly wait to see it again.
This is truly the remarkable story of Esther.
Their stories mirror one another again and again throughout this movie.
Esther was originally Hadassah.
Cinderella was originally Ella.
Name changes are very significant in the bible. They are marked moments.
They were both orphans too.
Cinderella's voice was the key to her destiny.
She didn't need a man to save her.
She saved herself.
No one knew who she was. She was a nobody.
Just like Esther.
God always uses those whom others would consider a "nobody" in a tremendous way.
There will be obstacles.
There will be pain and suffering and hardship.
There will be some who will be jealous and envious of your calling and your anointing and your gifting. There will even be some who will want to try and keep you hidden away and excluded and locked up in some type of attic, thinking that by using their power they can stop the call of God on your life.
But they can't.
Absolutely nothing can stop God's plan for your life.
Everyone has "a person" in life. Some of us will even be blessed with more than one person.
Cinderella had a Fairy Godmother in this fairytale.
Esther had her uncle, Mordecai.
This person is appointed to partner, help, assist, give, sow, connect you, etc.
You will see this theme all throughout the bible. And in everyday life too.
Talk to anyone who is successful and fulfilling purpose.
Someone helped them.
Someone with a great platform and tremendous influence gave them an opportunity, made a connection for them, called in favors, opened up doors for them, etc.
You cannot open the first few pages of a single book without reading countless acknowledgments of people who helped the author in some capacity.
If you haven't met your person yet- you will. We all will.
Everyone has a significant person who is ordained by God to help usher us into our destiny by orchestrating things that we couldn't make happen if we tried.
The longer the delay- the bigger the blessing.
The greater the suffering- the bigger your person and your purpose will be.
The most powerful part of the movie for me was the scene when The Grand Duke brought the palace guards and the slipper to the home of Cinderella and the Step-Mother had her locked up in the attic.
After everyone tried on the shoe and they started to leave the house...
They heard Cinderella's voice.
They heard her singing from the attic because even in the midst of great suffering she refused to remain silent.
Just like Esther.
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
When the captain questions both The Grand Duke and the Step-Mother and realizes that they are lying and clearly hiding the chosen one from the King...
The King (Kit) actually jumps off of his horse and orders the captain to seek out the voice.
He knew that he could not be trusted and so he stayed behind pretending to be one of the guards.
The Kinsmen Redeemer appeared just in time.
As Cinderella makes her way down the stairs to Kit, she begins to doubt herself. Her identity, her status and everything she feels she is lacking.
She has no idea if he will accept her for who she really is or not.
But she is full of great courage and presses on- even in the midst of fear.
"Will you take me as I am?" she asks him.
And of course He does. He loves her for who she really is.
Your commoner/nobody status given to you by the world does not matter to the King of Kings!
He loves us just as we are and He has great purpose for every one of us.
Kit offers her the other slipper because it belongs to her and it belonged to her all along.
When something belongs to you- every person in the world can try it on and attempt to make it fit their life- but it will not fit.
They can try and talk like you and write like you and create like you- but it will not fit.
Because it is yours.
It belongs to you.
It is your voice and your were not created to remain silent.
Walking in who you were made to be will unlock your destiny.
Even a voice locked up in the attic can be heard when purpose is attached to it.
Your voice is the key that will unlock greatness. Have courage and use it.
Painting, dancing, singing, drawing, cooking, building, writing...whatever it is.
But do not remain silent!
If we focus on overcoming our circumstances and refusing to be defined by them- and focus on allowing God to shape our character- "have courage and be kind," then when it is time, everything else will be added to us.
I thought about the years of suffering Cinderella endured.
And there was absolutely no one who helped her for many years.
How many of us have experienced this same story?
But God. Genesis 50:20
At the appointed time, a person was prepared to help her.
And all of those years of suffering and all of those years of harm and hard things and unfair things that the enemy meant to use to destroy her, were used for her good in the end.
Additionally, the glass slippers are so significant for me.
In the bible days people gave a shoe to signify that they were keeping a promise. To confirm that their word was good and true.
"Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. " Ruth 4:7
During my very first speaking engagement in July 2004, I shared my testimony and taught out of the book of Ruth and gave my shoe as a sign to a woman in the audience that God is a promise keeper and that His word is true.
He is.
When Cinderella's step-mother smashes her glass slipper, she is devastated.
But she has no idea that the King has the other slipper.
Our King has the other slipper beautiful friends. His word is good and true.
He is a promise keeper.
There is greatness on the inside of you.
He has a purpose and destiny for each one of you that is a perfect fit for you.
His promises are "Yes and Amen."
He will restore the unfair things. The painful things. The wrong things.
He will redeem and renew.
He offers recompense and restitution.
He is a restorer and a repairer.
He is the Kinsman Redeemer and He has the other slipper...the one with tremendous purpose and destiny attached to it.
This is truly the remarkable story of Esther.
Their stories mirror one another again and again throughout this movie.
Esther was originally Hadassah.
Cinderella was originally Ella.
Name changes are very significant in the bible. They are marked moments.
They were both orphans too.
Cinderella's voice was the key to her destiny.
She didn't need a man to save her.
She saved herself.
No one knew who she was. She was a nobody.
Just like Esther.
God always uses those whom others would consider a "nobody" in a tremendous way.
There will be obstacles.
There will be pain and suffering and hardship.
There will be some who will be jealous and envious of your calling and your anointing and your gifting. There will even be some who will want to try and keep you hidden away and excluded and locked up in some type of attic, thinking that by using their power they can stop the call of God on your life.
But they can't.
Absolutely nothing can stop God's plan for your life.
Everyone has "a person" in life. Some of us will even be blessed with more than one person.
Cinderella had a Fairy Godmother in this fairytale.
Esther had her uncle, Mordecai.
This person is appointed to partner, help, assist, give, sow, connect you, etc.
You will see this theme all throughout the bible. And in everyday life too.
Talk to anyone who is successful and fulfilling purpose.
Someone helped them.
Someone with a great platform and tremendous influence gave them an opportunity, made a connection for them, called in favors, opened up doors for them, etc.
You cannot open the first few pages of a single book without reading countless acknowledgments of people who helped the author in some capacity.
If you haven't met your person yet- you will. We all will.
Everyone has a significant person who is ordained by God to help usher us into our destiny by orchestrating things that we couldn't make happen if we tried.
The longer the delay- the bigger the blessing.
The greater the suffering- the bigger your person and your purpose will be.
The most powerful part of the movie for me was the scene when The Grand Duke brought the palace guards and the slipper to the home of Cinderella and the Step-Mother had her locked up in the attic.
After everyone tried on the shoe and they started to leave the house...
They heard Cinderella's voice.
They heard her singing from the attic because even in the midst of great suffering she refused to remain silent.
Just like Esther.
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
When the captain questions both The Grand Duke and the Step-Mother and realizes that they are lying and clearly hiding the chosen one from the King...
The King (Kit) actually jumps off of his horse and orders the captain to seek out the voice.
He knew that he could not be trusted and so he stayed behind pretending to be one of the guards.
The Kinsmen Redeemer appeared just in time.
As Cinderella makes her way down the stairs to Kit, she begins to doubt herself. Her identity, her status and everything she feels she is lacking.
She has no idea if he will accept her for who she really is or not.
But she is full of great courage and presses on- even in the midst of fear.
"Will you take me as I am?" she asks him.
And of course He does. He loves her for who she really is.
Your commoner/nobody status given to you by the world does not matter to the King of Kings!
He loves us just as we are and He has great purpose for every one of us.
Kit offers her the other slipper because it belongs to her and it belonged to her all along.
When something belongs to you- every person in the world can try it on and attempt to make it fit their life- but it will not fit.
They can try and talk like you and write like you and create like you- but it will not fit.
Because it is yours.
It belongs to you.
It is your voice and your were not created to remain silent.
Walking in who you were made to be will unlock your destiny.
Even a voice locked up in the attic can be heard when purpose is attached to it.
Your voice is the key that will unlock greatness. Have courage and use it.
Painting, dancing, singing, drawing, cooking, building, writing...whatever it is.
But do not remain silent!
If we focus on overcoming our circumstances and refusing to be defined by them- and focus on allowing God to shape our character- "have courage and be kind," then when it is time, everything else will be added to us.
I thought about the years of suffering Cinderella endured.
And there was absolutely no one who helped her for many years.
How many of us have experienced this same story?
But God. Genesis 50:20
At the appointed time, a person was prepared to help her.
And all of those years of suffering and all of those years of harm and hard things and unfair things that the enemy meant to use to destroy her, were used for her good in the end.
Additionally, the glass slippers are so significant for me.
In the bible days people gave a shoe to signify that they were keeping a promise. To confirm that their word was good and true.
"Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. " Ruth 4:7
During my very first speaking engagement in July 2004, I shared my testimony and taught out of the book of Ruth and gave my shoe as a sign to a woman in the audience that God is a promise keeper and that His word is true.
He is.
When Cinderella's step-mother smashes her glass slipper, she is devastated.
But she has no idea that the King has the other slipper.
Our King has the other slipper beautiful friends. His word is good and true.
He is a promise keeper.
There is greatness on the inside of you.
He has a purpose and destiny for each one of you that is a perfect fit for you.
His promises are "Yes and Amen."
He will restore the unfair things. The painful things. The wrong things.
He will redeem and renew.
He offers recompense and restitution.
He is a restorer and a repairer.
He is the Kinsman Redeemer and He has the other slipper...the one with tremendous purpose and destiny attached to it.
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