Well, it's been a couple of months since I posted last on here. A crazy, hectic couple of months. School term ended....spring break for both me and my sons.....my grandmother had a coronary episode which led to open heart surgery and my mother had to go be with her so that meant me starting back to school and helping out in my sons christian school since my mom is the one who runs it. And it is also my last term for most of my general classes so my class load was crazy.....aggggggh....yes that was me you heard screaming at the beginning of April.....lol. But God was good and brought my "mamaw" through her surgery and now she is on the road to recovery and hopefully going home soon from rehab.
So I know the title of this post brings to mind my favorite fairy tale and Disney movie, "Cinderella". And yes some days I feel like I am living the Cinderella life in reverse. I had the fairy tale wedding and prince and now I am living as the step daughter with life as the wicked step mother. Now I'm waiting for that mythical fairy godmother to come back around for another chance at the fairy tale.
A couple of days ago I was cleaning out my shoes....yes ladies, every once in a while we need to clean them out if only to make room for more new ones....lol. I came across one of the shoes I had worn in my wedding. It definitely was a Cinderella slipper. Off white with a glass high heel filled with pearls, so delicate and still so beautiful. It brought back so many memories that I can now recall without too much pain. I decided to try it on knowing it would not fit because after having children, my feet grew a whole shoe size. But the romantic in me wanted to put it on and have it fit again. Naturally it did not but while I was sitting there, God dropped this thought into my mind.
So many times in our life, especially those of us who have gone through a divorce or losing a spouse, we hold onto things that we would really be much better off without. We tell ourselves we have moved on but parts of our heart still are occupied by feelings for the one who left us. Usually they are not loving feelings.....more than likely they are feelings of hurt and anger. But what about those who can't let go of the love they had for their spouse? Many times they feel like they are being a good person by hanging onto those feelings and not letting them go. They think to themselves that if they continue to love them, maybe there is a chance that the relationship or marriage can be repaired. And sometimes God does allow that to happen. But more often than not this is a very rare occurrence in life. So what do we do with these feelings especially when they cause us to feel even more abandoned and rejected?
While I was sitting on the edge of my bed holding onto that Cinderella slipper that I had not been able to let go of, God spoke this thought to my heart. "Candice, the slipper doesn't fit anymore. Let it go and move on to what I have next for you." I literally had to let go of the slipper so I took it and put it in the goodwill bag I had sitting in the floor of my bedroom. Several times I was tempted to go get it out and keep it but every time I would try that same thought would come back. So I tied up the bag, loaded it in to my car and off to goodwill I went and am so glad I listened to God because since I did this God has begun to talk to me about the future and it looks to be exciting.
If you are one of those people who don't like change, you might be like one of the step sisters that tried and tried to stuff their feet into the glass slipper and it would never work. Sometimes we outgrow things in our life. And yet we try to hold onto these things trying to stuff our lives into it and all it does is make us miserable. There is only one Cinderella for every slipper. If your life isn't working out in what you are trying to fit it into, it might be time to try and new slipper. It can be scary to change your life up but if you are being guided by God, he will walk through every change with you and hold your hand through every new experience. Don't let your fear of the unknown steal what could be an amazing new opportunity in your life.
So what do you do when your slipper isn't physical but feelings? This is when taking it to God each and every day comes in. Every day picture and garbage bag in your mind and put those feelings in them and tell God that you want Him to take them and replace them with the future He has planned for you. It may not happen overnight but one day you will wake up and realize that you no longer have to put those feelings in the garbage bag, they are gone for good. It will almost be startling when you realize how much you will look forward to the future when the past is not weighing you down. When I was thinking about all of this, the scripture in Philippians 3: 13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." In order to move forward into the future God has for us, we must first leave the past where it belongs.....IN THE PAST! Whatever feelings or emotions you cannot get past, God will give you the strength and peace to deal with and overcome. He never promised it would be easy, he just promised it would be worth it.
So when the slipper of life doesn't fit anymore, don't argue and fret and try to fit your proverbial foot into it, take it over the the goodwill bag, put it in, and walk away knowing God has a wonderful future in store for you!
Love this. Thanks, Candice. :-)
ReplyDelete