Life is Not a Disney Fairy Tale

"It is painful to admit this, but Disney completely warped my perception of relationships. From the time I was young, I wanted to be Snow White or Cinderella. Well mostly Snow White. She seemed to be the only princess who wasn't blonde! I dreamed of being the "fairest of them all" and making the wicked queen jealous. I imagined being worshipped by dwarfs named Happy and Sleepy and Dopey and Doc. What's more, even though my singing voice was painful to my own ears, I sincerely believed that if I were the fairest of them all, animals would come and sit by the window to eat out of my hands while I serenaded them.

   Girls, wouldn't it be amazing if the only thing you had to do to catch the handsome prince was to eat an apple that would make you sleep (perhaps one laced with Advil PM) and wait for him to ride up, fall in love with you (primarily because he couldn't hear your singing) and kiss you on the lips? Then, the two of you would ride off into the sunset.

  Guys, wouldn't life feel simple if your parents could just host a dance and EVERY girl in the area would put on her best gowns to dance with you? Without even speaking words to one another, you would just know she is "the one," and not only would your life feel complete, but you would also be her HERO, rescuing her from her everyday existence. Talk about feeling wanted and "macho"!

   However, Disney never finished the story. We never saw the relationship. All we ever got was the (alleged) "happily ever after." I was ripped off!

    While you would think that we would grow out of our little childhood fantasies, join the real world, and mature in our ability to deal with relationships with the opposite sex, the truth is, most of us are still waiting for the glass slipper to fall off at the dance when the clock strikes midnight. As young women, we think that if we look pretty enough and have enough magic mice to create the perfect prom dress, we too will meet our princes and live happily ever after. Young men want the ego boost of fulfilling some girl's dreams. We need a wake-up call!

  Here is the bottom line: Girls, if you want a man of God, you have to be a women of God. Boys, if you want a God-honoring wife, you must honor God with your life right now. If you want respect, you have to be someone who is respectful. If you want honesty, you have to be honest. If you want kindness, you have to be kind. To have a successful relationship and future, the key is spending time NOW developing your own character.

  Perhaps you find yourself saying, "Why do I always attract losers?" If that is the case, maybe it's time for some real INNER SOUL SEARCHING. Rather than looking out, maybe it is time to look IN! What are you watching? How are you acting towards others? What do you believe? Is that a lot of work? Yes it is. Maybe you wish you could just go back to the magic mirror, glass slippers or horse to ride in on and save the day. But, I promise, if you will do the WORK of growing up and maturing past the beautiful gown and hero complex, your REAL, God-given spouse will be so much better than the fake, plastic one that cannot see YOU behind the mask! You are a child of the King--loved beyond measure--so let's raise our standards high and spend a little more time on the INSIDE and less on the outside!"

Taken from Who's in Your Social Network by Pam Stenzel