Don’t look back…

One of the most popular fairy-tales for little girls is the story of Cinderella.  In a world full of make-believe, one can allow their mind to dream and get lost in this magnificent tale.  There have been many remakes since the original Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version of Cinderella, but the basic storyline is the same.  A poor girl, horribly mistreated, is raised by her evil stepmother and dreadful stepsisters.  All of the Kingdom is invited to the King’s ball in hopes that the prince would find true love.  But not Cinderella, she is forbidden to attend and locked in the attic by the wicked stepmother. 

“ In my attempt to move forward, to fulfill the destiny that God has designed for me, I too look back.  I dare think that I am not alone in this.  I think we all struggle with looking back - holding on to the past whether it is painful memories, words that have been spoken over us that we can’t leave behind,”

— Kim Dockery

The fairy godmother comes to the rescue, performing her magic by whipping up a beautiful dress and shoes, perfect hair and makeup, and the carriage to get her there.  There was only one rule that Cinderella must remember – at midnight everything turns back as it was.   She must not be late.

You know the story – Cinderella is so beautiful that she catches the eye of the handsome prince and they lose all track of time until the clock began to strike midnight.  Jolted to reality by every strike of the clock, Cinderella runs leaving the prince behind.  In her attempt to escape before the Prince saw who she really was, one of her glass slippers comes off. 

““Never look back.  If Cinderella went back to pick up her shoe, she wouldn’t have become a princess.”  If Cinderella had chosen to grab the shoe – holding onto all that it represented that night, her destiny would have been altered forever.  ”

— Kim Dockery

Now in some of the versions of the story, Cinderella stops and looks back at the shoe.  And in that moment, I am sure that she is contemplating if she has time to go back and grab it; or, just run and leave it.  And, so she does. Cinderella leaves the shoe, running as hard as she can go to get home before the others realize she too was at the ball.  

We know the end of the Cinderella story.  The handsome prince searches the land in hopes to find the one girl that the shoe would fit.  Many girls, young and old, tried to squeeze their foot into that slipper but alas, Cinderella was found, the evil stepmother and stepsisters exposed, and the prince and Cinderella lived happily ever after. 

For a moment, let’s entertain this thought – what if Cinderella had gone back for the shoe?  What if she went back to pick it up or to take the time to stop and put it on? 

I saw a quote the other day that said: “Never look back.  If Cinderella went back to pick up her shoe, she wouldn’t have become a princess.”  If Cinderella had chosen to grab the shoe – holding onto all that it represented that night, her destiny would have been altered forever. 

Of course, Cinderella is a fairy tale and we live in the real world.  But what about us?  We must pause and ask ourselves the question, “how many times have we been faced with the same dilemma? “

I was reminded of the passage in the Bible that says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”  Philippians 3:13. 

In Genesis 19, Lot and his family were led out of Sodom and Gomorrah by the angels of the Lord.  The angels specifically instructed them to run and don’t look back lest they be destroyed with the city.  But Lot’s wife couldn’t help herself.  She turned to get one last look at her life she was leaving behind and instantly, she was turned into a pillar of salt. 

I do the same thing.  In my attempt to move forward, to fulfill the destiny that God has designed for me, I too look back.  I dare think that I am not alone in this.  I think we all struggle with looking back - holding on to the past whether it is painful memories, words that have been spoken over us that we can’t leave behind, or maybe, somehow imagining we will be missing out on something if we let go and forget it.  So, we too attempt to move forward while looking back.  Think about it. Have you ever seen a runner that is running forward but looking behind?  Or, a runner that is looking where they have been instead of where they are going?  It is a foolish idea and a runner could never win the race running like that.

How are we any different?   We are challenged by the Word of God to press forward.  Challenged to leave those things behind and run toward the prize, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  In our attempt to hold onto the past while trying to move forward, could it be that we are risking altering the plan of God for our lives?  Could it be that we are allowing the tactics of the enemy to cloud our minds with the appealing fairy tales of our past and painful memories that haunt us, causing us to hang onto the present-day rather than letting go and trusting God with our future? 

God help us!  Help us to trust you, to follow you, to press forward and to never look back!