Living a Fairy Tale!

Living a Fairy Tale!

(Inspired by Tangled!)

We all love fairy tales, even though we know that fairy tales are imaginary stories, they are part of our lives and dreams. As kids, we tend to compare our lives to the lives of characters therein and as we grow we come to the conclusion that LIFE IS NOT A FAIRY TALE and we live lives as if we are fighting battles all the time. Why do we say Life is not a fairy tale? Because we do not see, the “Happily Ever After” part coming anywhere close to us. It’s sad to know that we miss that none of the fairy tales begin with a happily ever after but end with it. Strangely, we haven’t realized that we too have not reached our end, if you’re still reading this and I’m still typing this. So why don’t we choose to believe that we’re living a fairy tale, except for the fact that the tale doesn’t revolve around us, but is in the hands of the Storywriter, as in every other fairy tale!

That’s all nice and sugary, “Living a Fairy Tale” if only it was true. But fortunately, it is true. We do have a “Happily Ever After” if only you believe. Sounds like another fantasy, just hold on,

Which Princess in any Fairytale has not cried?
 Which princess in Fairytale history ever did not fight?
 Which one did not have to work?
 Which one did not have to be betrayed?
Which one was ever NOT separated from the ones she loved?
Which one did not have to stand up for what she believed?
C’mon which one got it all so easy?

How come, we who want the ‘Happily Ever After’ life implicitly ignore all these milestones that go on before the journey’s end? Well now if you can relate to the tears, the fights, the separations, the betrayal, the standing up and so on, then obviously you’re headed towards the ‘Happily Ever After’! Let’s peep into the life of Rapunzel from Tangled to have a glimpse of Fairy Tales!

P.S. I would slightly be using a lot of “PRINCESS” and not “PRINCES” for obvious reasons and please note that you are precious and royal whether you are XX or XY and the Storywriter is not biased like I am in my write up!

A COMPARISON WITH RAPUNZEL FROM TANGLED!

Inside the Tower!

The story of Rapunzel begins with a girl hidden in a tower not allowed outside! A good start, is it?

When we grow up a little, we build ourselves a tower which seemingly protects us from the dark forces outside or so we think. In some cases, towers are built by someone else, but it’s the individual that chooses to dwell in it. Towers of fear towering high into the sky, towers of past failure, that never lets you try, towers of Hopelessness that lets you have no faith, towers from a broken heart remembering all the tears. The list goes on and this is the first kind of towers. The second kind of towers are towers that are built due to situations around us. There will come a time when you’ll have to break these towers that are around. Cause, behind these towers, outside these towers, lies the true purpose of you.

Before that, what you do inside the tower plays a huge role! Rapunzel from Tangled, has a whole lot to do, let’s look at her daily schedule from the song she sings!

¹Seven a.m. the usual morning line up
Start on the chores and sweep till the floors all clean
Polish and wax do laundry and mop and shine up
Sweep again and by then it's like seven fifteen (7: 15)
And so I'll read a book or maybe 2 or 3
I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery
I'll play guitar and knit and cook and basicallyJust wonder when Will My Life Begin?
Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking
Paper mache a bit of ballet and chess
Pottery and ventriloquy candle making
Then I'll stretch maybe sketch take a climb sew a dress
And I'll read the books if I have time to spare
I'll paint the walls some moreI'm sure there's room somewhere
And then I'll brush and brush and brush and brush my hair
Stuck in the same place I've always been
And I'll keep wondering and wondering and wondering and wondering
When Will My Life Begin?

If you had just gone through the lyrics... Whoa, that’s a whole lot of things she did. How many of us inside the castle, do all that we can? Well, it’s a fairy tale and imaginations have no limitations but if the ‘Happily Ever After needs to be true’ isn’t this a part of it too?

² Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

Your Golden Hair!

About the Golden Hair that Rapunzel had got, it was the most important thing. It carried with it all she needed for her future since it depicted her origin and led her to her destiny. Which part of you is your Golden Hair? That question is for you to discover on your own! I really can’t list the variety of unique talents with which Humanity has been created!

Most importantly Rapunzel’s golden hair was not for her to cherish but to give away! The hair could be your biggest burden, the hair could be your biggest strength but the choice lies in your hand to make use of it in the way you want to! The biggest lie anyone could ever tell you about yourself is that you have no golden hair; it’s up to you to believe them or prove them wrong. Our duty is to keep it clean, to preserve it, to accept it, grow it and also love it for what it is.

The Way to Destiny!

You already are equipped with all that you need for the moment. But there is also a lot more you do not know, which takes time and effort to discover. Follow the light one step at a time!  For man is created with a purpose, you are where you are for a reason(Rephrasing of a quote I have read). If you do not believe the previous statement, would you choose to believe you are not here for a reason? Both require Faith for believing, you might as well believe there’s a reason! Back, in the beginning, we see Rapunzel singing ‘When will my Life begin?’ not actually knowing that her life has begun already and she’s still part of the huge story that she is unaware of! If you find yourselves singing in your waiting the same song Rapunzel sang, know that you have already begun on what will help you through in the days to come! How am I so sure about this?  It is because I know Who writes the story! And if you wanna know what he says, here it goes!

³For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Stay TRUE, when the door opens:

When Rapunzel sets out of her tower, she makes a deal, a promise and keeps it too. Earnest commitment to your dreams, truthfulness, and faithfulness goes a long way than the golden hair or the dream itself because that’s what the Storywriter seeks in all of his studs! As much of all of the above statements are true, so much truth lies in the way we handle things, do not worry, we have second, third and seventy times seven chances before we can blow it up, and that’s called Mercy. Like teachers, give grace marks for passing, the Storywriter works everything for the best outcome of the play we’re in. Also because there is a huge component of LOVE, just like in the Fairytales. There is PERFECT LOVE, without any Fear! Love, Faith, Hope, Truth are all cherished in Fairytales. In reality, how many of us really Love, how many of us have hope even when we’re drowning, how many of us abide by the truth and not lie, how many of us BELIEVE even when it’s complicated? Aren’t these parts of the Grand awaited Fairytale too? How can we expect to have a ‘Happily Ever After’ if we do not abide by the governing laws of Fairy tales or the principle by which they form their stories?

If these were true, wouldn’t fairy tales be lived? If you can make it true, why not try?

Chasing what is Temporary!

None of the Princesses in the Fairytales started by dreaming of becoming queens! Here in Rapunzel’s story, she only wanted to see where the lights came from, that was her dream. Little did she know that she was the princess, the whole kingdom was searching for and only for her were they lighting up the lanterns that she only wanted to see! The story goes on by showing us how she goes on to see the Lights and wonders what she could dream of next! Seriously, that one scene where she does not know what to do next is amazing! When we chase things that are temporary, we will be stuck up similarly! Say, some destined royalty unknowingly chases to earn one crore rupees. The person strives endlessly to earn that money and after it is earned, what next? What else? Life is too short to be running for money. A logical calculation of what you will miss and what you will gain may help you make the right choices! But the thing with building relationships, friendships, families are quite an investment in the journey of Life sometimes there are withdrawals too, but the best use of Life is investing it in another person’s life. After all, we are social beings and not materials out there in dimensions of Space!

Stand For what you believe!

⁴If you do not stand firm in your faith,
    you will not stand at all.’”

The biggest test is to believe all of it is true. Only when you start believing will things fall apart, will you see no bright days, will you see no way out and so on. These are the moments your true Royalty would be tested! Do not forget what you heard in the light, while in the darkness (Rephrasing of a quote I have read). This part resembles the climax of any fairy tale for that matter when the gallows are waiting for the good one and the princess is fastened to the chains being pulled by the evil one. We are so used to seeing it on the screen that we know they’ll eventually come out of it! How many of us believe it for our own lives? That it is darkest before the dawn. Well, if you believe it, yours is the fairy tale. For all things are possible to those who believe! Fight till the end, because in the end lies the Victory. No one stops watching a fairy tale during the climax; we want to see its end. Why would you give up on your life when you have already reached the hardest part?

⁵Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

It’s going to be alright!

⁶When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

That’s the good news; it does not end in vain. All your 7 am chores, your golden hair, the ways that led you to your destiny, the staying True part, faithful, hopeful and above all crowned with LOVE will ever pay off. The Storywriter is ALWAYS Good and he rewards all those who do well.

⁷"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

The Happily Ever After

⁸“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

And this is the end of the story. The final touch, for the Princesses and the Princes, belongs to the Kingdom. Though after their beginning they LOST their place in the Kingdom, their towers are not their destiny for they were not created to live in isolation, in pain, in longing or weakness for they were of Royal blood which is waiting to be united to the Royalty. And when that day arrives, fairy tales will no more be remembered as Happily Ever After, because what they have is much greater!

Isn’t it amazing, to know each of us has a fairy tale in store by the Storywriter? I am living a fairy tale myself, what about you?

 ¹Read more: Mandy Moore - When Will My Life Begin? Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

² Colossians 3:23 (The Holy Bible)

³ Jeremiah 29:11 (The Holy Bible)

⁴ Isaiah 7:9 (The Holy Bible)

⁵ John 11:40 (The Holy Bible)

⁶ Proverbs 10:25 (The Holy Bible)

⁷ Revelation 22:12 (The Holy Bible)
⁸Revelation 21:3-5 (The Holy Bible)

Videos rather Songs:

https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YLPP7LNX (This is the time, By Superchick)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOAOQFE-gvs (My fave from Tangled! “I see the Light”)

GALLERY(Screenshots from Tangled)

Defending Death!

Defending Death!

Death, the sound of the very word sends chills from our brains to all over our body. We frown, feel bad and the overloaded expressions are perfectly normal. How normal is death in everyday life? What makes it abnormal? Why is death so unjust? Why is death avoided as a subject to be spoken about? Why is everyone afraid of Death of Loved ones? Why is Death associated with Fear, Failure, Loss, Damage, weeping, mourning and everything negative?If the entire world believes that we could overcome failure, even a hundred times, is it true that we can overcome the loss of a loved one? The anger and hurt that we have on anything related to the CAUSE of death of the loved one, could it ever be overturned? Was it even meant to be that humanity would one day understand that it’s all okay and reasonable? Statistically, Death is one of the most logical things to happen on this unique earth, cause if there was no death, the earth would never have enough place for the living!😜 But still, we don’t really ACCEPT the ABSENCE of the ones we love, however old they are or however necessary it was for them to die so their pain would just get over with on this earth.

Most of the questions theists face are that “Why would a GOOD God allow the death of a righteous person”, or simply, “He was such a good man, why did God take his life?” and so many similar questions. There are also honest answers as to “We can never question God” and other valid confessions from a human understanding. I have recently faced the loss of a loved one and I’m not writing any of these with no understanding of what is underwent when a family loses the ones they love. Personally, I refused to ask any questions to God on “WHY?” believing that He works everything for the good of his people. It’s unique to know that God would pursuantly chase this little kid (me) and tell me why He did what He did! Sometimes God needs a messenger to advocate His works to his people. So the entries in this blog are an honest effort to make people who go through the same roads that I’ve walked on to defend Death and to proclaim that it’s okay and reasonable to face death with the utmost vigor possible.

For the introduction part, Creation and Termination are two things that extend beyond the freewill of man, and not one of it happens without the Creator's divine permission. Be it worst cases of illegitimate birth or world wars, God takes the final call. He is the decision maker.

 "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up” 1 Samuel 2:6.

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN DEATH:

 It's only foolish to look at it this way, when people question the very right of God to terminate and blame him for causing untimely deaths or accidents. God has not given the right or will to man to choose his own or someone else’s time of Death. But the free will of man has enough influence on taking the life of his neighbor, on poisoning his own family, the free will of man also extends over the influence he has on his own body in subjecting it to abusive drugs, boundless amounts of alcohol, endless stressful work schedules, refusing the good and normal food habits and giving in to what’s not so healthy. On the other hand how much ever you strive on finding the drug that tends to promote longevity or follow perfect and healthy regime being obsessive on your take on health all of it is subject to the last call that God has to make. The one important point here is God will never snatch from you the free will that he has created you with, it’s your choice to live the life the way you want to. God does not intervene in our choices but he knows that all of it has consequences.

 And that’s the reason, wisdom calls aloud in the streets but only those who have ears to hear will hear. How is all this related to death? As much as life is very personal and the choices that we make are purely ours. The truth is even though you were the closest to the one you lost; you may not know the person’s own choices be it small or great. With what confidence or theory do we question the completely Pure God on WHY he approved Death to the person you loved? The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Pro16:4 God never intended anyone to be wicked, but if they were by their own free will, he was bound to punish them because of his own holiness and standards.

IT IS GOOD:

The above paragraph does not mean that death is a result of the choices one has made, it was good, and the best option that God could give given the situation. God works in the best interest of all his children to the best of his values; it’s only the best things that come to us from him nullifying all our shortcomings. God does not do the things he does unless he sees it is good. He took immense pleasure in his own creation, he takes pleasure in destroying the things that destroy his children, he takes pleasure in fighting their battles and showing them that they badly need him for a living! He also thinks it important to leave the Vengeance part to him. As much as the pain of death brings, God allows it because it is good.

 This might be difficult to accept as a fact as we wait outside hospitals building castles on how we would spend our time with the dying on the bed, how we would celebrate birthdays, how we would show more love and appreciate the non-appreciated things in them! God knows all of this enough and so deeply that he makes the wisest decision of breaking all these castles and letting them die as we watch the blood pressure levels lower. Yes, the news from the doctor that the time of death is 7:07 am is predestined by your maker.

If we could just think in our little minds from God’s perspective, how traumatizing it would be for the one who was moved with compassion for a widow’s son, to let your hope crash like a sandcastle on the shore. Think as to how the one who wept at Lazarus’s tomb would come weeping to your rescue. If he had not closed his eyes for that one second, our Loving God could never have caused death. If Our God had not forsaken us for that moment, the goodness behind it could not have occurred. In just a comparison with Jesus on the cross, crying in a loud voice.

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). Matthew 27:46

If death had not overtaken Jesus for that one moment, where would we get the goodness of being saved by the blood that was shed on the cross. No death is an implication of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, not even close, but isn’t it the wonderful death that has saved, saves and will save every life on earth? Is death bad, now in the light of the one way to salvation?

THE TIME OF DEATH:

Just till my daughter gets married, at least till my son grows up a bit, at least 50, at least 60, He was so young, the baby was just 3, just one year after their wedding, in all shapes and sizes comes the time of death. Simply, God knows. The one who created the entire earth is not ignorant of what’s going on in your life.

But God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond that which ye are able to bear, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

It is interesting to note that both these verses start with the word BUT. The one who created the human heart knows exactly what it’s like. Thanks to Paul for recording the probably exact words as God spoke to him.  God knows that his children will have so much pain and will go to him and say that I can’t hold on, I can’t bear it, I can’t take anymore and so on… a gentle reminder to all of us is that His grace is way too big for us to exhaust it with our pain. All through you will only be carried; you needn’t even walk, till you have the strength to do so. You don’t have to face the giants ahead; He will be there before you. He only allows the pain of death because He KNOWS you can overcome it with the water from his well. Only. 

 He works out the timings, well ahead much better and again, in the BEST way. Some of it you will realize only after a long time. In the intermittent time, all that we got to do is Trust! Even when we do not understand it all, it takes a little faith to trust his already experienced amazing grace. It's foolish to think that the Sovereign Loving God just closes His eyes when he takes away people from earth. No, the dear master planner God plans the death of every individual. He does everything perfectly in His timing when everything God does is so, How much more would a death be planned by God who created?

 “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;” Ecclesiastes 3:1 

The one-second accidents, two-minute delays as much as God extends His hand to save his people exactly in the right time, He also lets them die when it's time.

Someone close to me once said to me,

 “It either makes you or breaks you, dear”.

 So if you’re going through a similar situation, don’t let it break you but make you. For, times like these are like precious moments in a goldmine. Don’t come out of the mine without picking up your learning which is much more valuable than the bags of gold.

THE BEST PART: Death is not the END!

It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 1 Corinthians 15:42

Thank God, everyone lives forever but not here in this world! We realize so much of the depth of the wisdom and love that God has expressed in planning the Eternal life for us only after we so closely lose someone we love. God is exceedingly good in that He never lets us stranded by anything, even death. Death is just a doorway to where we're meant to be. Death may be painful to people on earth, but the loved ones who have left have left for their own Good, when they know God, again only when they know God. If belief in Jesus Christ is the gate pass to Heaven, then Death validates the gate pass. Now, this is a huge subject which I only prefer to mention here!

Note: The words above is just a page of a book that could be written from all that I have received, from all that God taught and is still teaching me. Let’s see if I could contribute more. But for now, this is all!