PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• My grandmother taught me to read when I was three years old and as soon as I could read independently, I devoured fairy tale books.
It wasn’t too many years before I graduated from the Disney version of “Cinderella,” to the original by Hans Christian Anderson.
And let’s just say that cute little talking mice are not a part of that original story, which is actually kind of gruesome.
I hate to do spoilers, but… I’m going to anyway.
In the original fairy tale, when the king’s officials arrived at the home of Cinderella with the tiny slipper (which was made of fur, not glass), seeking the woman who could wear it, the step-sisters did everything in their power to make that slipper fit their own larger feet.
Literally.
One of them cut off her toe.
The other cut off a chunk of her heel in an effort to make the shoe fit.
The king’s people obviously knew the bloody ruse demonstrated that these were not the women they sought, but Cinderella arrived just in time to slip her dainty foot in what was now a blood-soaked furry shoe.
So romantic, right?!
How similar are we to the step-sisters?
God designed us with a specific plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).
And yet, we look longingly at the plan He has for others.
So we do whatever we can to make the square pegs (us) fit into the round hole (our ideal situation).
We want to force the shoe to fit when it was clearly not made for us to wear.
The thing is, no matter how hard we try to squeeze ourselves into a plan that is not for us, God will not allow it if it’s not His will.
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
How much happier would we all be if we’d focus our efforts on what God has planned exclusively for us, rather than longingly looking at the plans He wrote for someone else.
Today, as you pray, thank God for His plan for you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be content with your purpose.
And rather than look with longing at someone else’s, ask Him to give you a heart that willingly celebrates and encourages others as they live out their God-given plan.
2 Responses
What a blessing that your grandmother taught you how to read , and at such a young age ! Yes, let us relax, knowing that God knows exactly where to place us to further his Kingdom.
My grandmother was amazing! I owe my love of words to her and my mom! Thank you for commenting! ❤️