It is a tale as old as time, a classic portrait that endures. Whether Cinderella is a girl or a boy, man or woman, the character is so relatable. The underdog who comes out on top. The last one chosen. The sinner made saint. Even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who himself was mocked, hated, laughed at, spit upon. But it is he who goes from a crown of thorns to a crown of righteousness. We are all the Cinderellas he chose. (If someone knows the male name equivalent, do share!).

Ours is a true fairy tale. We try to hide ourselves, feeling our unworthiness. Thanks be to God that He sees something in each of us! Through the broken body and shed blood we are declared worthy. That brokenness, the heart that literally breaks for us, heals the brokenness in ourselves. Our Cinderella selves may hide from the fearsome presence of the Most High. People may misunderstand us. And yet the Holy Spirit gives us the grace and power to persevere. We carry and share mutual burdens with one another. “There but by the grace of God go I”; that often-used expression that soothingly reminds us that someone always has it worse than we do.

We get invited to the “ball”, and we need not fear when the clock strikes twelve. The host, the bridegroom, the Prince of Peace, invites us to the feast that has no end. The shoe fits, and we wear it humbly, thankfully. He has captured our hearts, and we are loved unconditionally. If you have ever felt like the underdog, the misfit, the last one chosen, rejoice! The kingdom of heaven is yours!

Pastor Art