I used to have a cute, little, wooden, vintage looking sign that read in a whimsical font: Fairytales Do Come True. It was hanging above the door going into my master bedroom. I am getting ready to file divorce papers as I write this. Maybe the sign should read more like the title to this story.
I met him when I was 15. I obsessed over my true love for years. Through on and off dating, plenty of fights, kiss and make-ups, long distance relationships, 4 years of infertility, 5 children in 10 years, tons of overnight business trips, too many addresses to count, and “too little, too late” our 17 year marriage will end in divorce.
See, my fairytale was to be a stay at home wife and mom. Home-school my kids, have plenty of kids, even adopt a few, stay married forever and live close to the beach. (I used to want a llama, elephants, sheep, bunnies, and a maid...that was the “in my 20’s fairytale“, please! I woke up to reality on that one!) This fairytale was practical and plausible.
What I didn’t realize was, I was not in control. I should have figured that out with the whole 4 years of infertility. But see, that did have a happy ending. Five beautiful blessings from God! Something I will always be thankful for and give the Lord 100% credit!
Goal #1 Married to my High School sweetheart. Check.
Goal #2 Have a lot of kids. Check.
Goal #3 Live close to the beach. Check.
Goal #4 Home-school
Well, that will have to be a whole other story. God chose to give me strong willed children, and not exactly a home-schooling type temperament.
3 out of 4, not so bad.
3 out of 4, not so bad.
Goal #5 Stay at home mom and wife. It took a little struggle, between self-worth, finances and discipline. MOPS {Mothers of Preschoolers weekly group) was also an integral part of the transition.
Check.
The only thing left was married forever and adoption.
Pretty good, huh?
I thought so myself.
Until. Until, no matter what I did or tried didn’t help.
No matter what or how I tried to control
EVERYTHING,NOTHING
Worked!
I sat in the shower just awhile ago crying and pleading with God. I made all kinds of deals with Him. I pleaded for normal, whatever that is. I told Him what I would give up. I told Him all the humanitarian things I was capable of. It was quite the scene. Sitting in a shower groveling with the Creator of the universe.
That’s when it hit me. The fairytale thing.
I thought of all my friends and the people I know of, not necessarily personally, but know of their story. They don’t have fairytales, either. I even thought of people in the Bible.
What about the woman at the well? Five husbands, that’s even something to talk about in 2009. I don’t think she had subzero refrigerator, either. Her water came from walking quite a distance, without Nike’s, throwing in the bucket, drawing the water and then carrying it back in a heavy jug. You couldn’t just walk up to the stainless refrigerator and press the ice and water button. Fairytale? Lifetime movie maybe.
There is a happy ending, though. In the Bible, that is.
The happy ending starts at the cross with suffering, continues with the resurrection and ends in Revelation when He rides in on a white horse!
Yes, I said, He rides in on a white horse. Here it comes. We do get a happy ending, we do!
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19:11-16
Sounds pretty fairytale like to me. The KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS riding in on a white horse to slay the enemy with His sword.
Pain and suffering was not spared for Jesus as He walked the earth, why would we be spared. I guess there is no fairytale life here on planet earth. We do get a happy ending, though. Thank you Jesus. I will wait for the white horse and scrap the fairytale. Glass slippers sound very uncomfortable anyway!
