Last week, I watched Beauty and the Beast for the first time in years, having received the Special Edition DVD of it for Christmas (upon my own request). As I watched it, I saw many important parallels to the Real Story that I'd missed when watching it in middle school--a whole castle and all its subjects subject to a Curse because of a wrong decision, waiting on the right timing and the revelation of Love for all to be made right again, the darkness and fog and wolves surrounding the present Castle, the glorious transformation and dancing and rejoicing in the ballroom when Love comes and restores everything to glory.
The timing of this dovetailed well with a question we were asked last week on the last night of this intensive three week class--"What are you looking forward to"? The question was open to any interpretation. I started thinking about things I am looking forward to--moving overseas, summer, but another friend in the class gave an answer that brought me back to the real perspective. She said "I am looking forward to sitting at the feet of Him with people from every tongue, tribe, and nation, praising Him." Her answer jerked tears into my eyes, because it reminded me of the deeper level of what I am really looking forward to--not the dust and ashes and suffering of this present world, but the joy of the next. The Reality, the restoration, the wholeness. Returning things to their original intent. No more death, crying, mourning, sorrow, pain, old order of things--all of which I have experienced and seen too much of this last week. Her answer jerked my heart back to where it needs to be--fixed on Things Above, not earthly things.
So as a reminder to myself and to you, ask yourself, what are you looking forward to? See what answers come to mind. And remind yourself of the ultimate reality we are looking forward to--the future restoration of all things, the removal of sorrow and the effects of wrong, and Love Himself revealed in the ballroom while He dances with the Bride.
