In Celebration of Anna

Thank you, Disney, for adding much needed excitement to cold and snow.

It was a year ago that my children and I first saw Disney's Frozen. It didn't take long for us all to be sucked into the snowflake littered vortex of the story line. Two deceased monarchs. A mysterious Queen. Adorable trolls. I leaned back with the somehow in tact Jr Mints I had smuggled into my Mary Poppins purse, and mused, "I bet there are going to be a WHOLE lot of Queen Elsa's at Halloween." I am now certain I wasn't the first one to think that.

What was it about Queen Elsa that was so alluring? The fact that she was not a Disney Princess- she was a QUEEN? The insane powers (ice castle? no problem!) that coursed through her veins? Or of course, the amazing set of pipes she possessed?

I drove home after the movie, and tried processing what I saw. Sure it was funny, and clever, and the musical score was epic. But I searched the stony heap of the storyline for the one jewel I could polish and keep. Embedded into the tapestry of film, was a crimson thread of love. Tucked into the heart of the film was the constant theme of sacrifice. And it was her love for her sister that melted her own frozen heart. In this film, Anna was the real hero.

Although Elsa had incredible powers, she was kept prisoner by fear. The fear growing in her heart made it impossible to let others in. It thrived in her growing powers and built walls, icy spears, and even a castle to keep others away. She could deceive herself into thinking she was free, thinking all she had to do was "let it go" to find peace, but peace eluded her.

In stark contrast, Anna had everything to lose. She desperately wanted a relationship with her sister- and endured a lifetime of rejection as a reward. Unlike others who saw Elsa's powers as repulsive, Anna was drawn to her sister all the more fervently. She pursued, she traveled, she fought, and she even employed the help of a burly, odorous ice cutter to win her sister back.

Some would view Queen Elsa as the one in power, and in fact, they would be right. After all, it was her voice echoing across the mountain on that wintery night that "the cold doesn't bother [her] anyway". But Anna's power came in the form of lips pursed through a keyhole saying, "do you wanna build a snowman?" or a determined fist knocking on a frigid door or trekking up the side of a punishing mountain just to see her sister's face.

There is something so vulnerable about loving. True love risks being hurt. True love risks being misunderstood. True love risks being rejected. But the following is also true of love: "Perfect love drives away all fear." 1 Jn 4:18 Pure love thaws; true love heals. Love didn't seek it's own way; it sought to serve and protect. Love didn't shrink back in fear; instead, it pursued. Love didn't run away at its weakest point, but with its last free motion, put up a hand in between a sword's blow and a crushed sister. That reminds me of Christ's love on the cross. With one of His last breaths, Jesus cried, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Love sees beyond the here and now, and forgives those who wound out of their own short sightedness.

There may not have been a plethora of little Anna's this past Halloween, but one thing is true; Anna's love is to be celebrated. Her love is to be emulated. Courage is not found in those who run and hide; courage is found in those who choose to love. Let's dare to be brave in our relationships, and in this world, and love with the same fervor as Anna...but more than her, Jesus. Will we come out on top? There are no guarantees. But we will win.

Tea with a Slice of Life

Life is BIG.

Big milestones, big lessons, big accomplishments, and big tragedies are all a part of life's big picture. Someone might be blessed enough to live for 8 or 9 decades. We only have one shot at it. And yet,

Life is SMALL.

Small pleasures, small gestures, small victories, and small moments. It's the little things that make up life: the gentle breezes. The card in the mail. The hugs and kisses.

It's easy to marvel at the whole, and yet miss the point. Some days, I've whirred and buzzed through my day like a honeybee on steroids, only to pillow my head and have the room spin. There are the overwhelming days, the overbooked days, and the over-the-top-irritating days. All that spinning masks the little stuff that happened that day. My husband's text saying he was glad I'm his girl. My daughter's sweet kisses. My sons making music on their trumpet and clarinet. Life can be so big that the small gets lost like a lonely sock in the laundry.

And yet I'm reminded that God speaks in still small whispers. Although He spoke the universe into existence, He etched the most intricate detail on a flower petal. Although He established the boundaries of sky and sea, He formed every emerald blade of grass.

Life is big. But I'm attempting to hear God's whispers in the small things. To learn His truths in the teensiest of fleeting moments. To extract mind-blowing principles from the most unlikely of places.

The tea? Happens to be my favorite drink. I do drink coffee at times, but there's something reliably steady about a steaming hot cup of tea. It says, "Relax, and let me flow down and nourish you from the inside out." OK, it doesn't really say that, but I imagine that it would if it could.

The slice of life? It's my attempt at dissecting the vastness of life, and taking it in- one small bite at a time. Life happens, and unless I take the time to sink my fork into a slice of its many layers, and nom nom away, I miss the point. The Greatest Chef, the Bread of Life, has given us a cylindrical confection called life. It's not possible to take it all in at once, so we work at it, once slice at a time. He puts the sweet ingredients: the wins, the happy, and mixes them with the unlikely ones: the losses, the hurts, and folds them all together to make life: a life that pleases Him. A life that showcases His culinary prowess. A life that He puts on a stand for the world to see just how sweet He is.

Tea With A Slice Of Life is a place you can pull over, take a breather, and be reminded that God often speaks the mountainous mysteries of life in mole hills. Let me pour you some "talking" tea, hand you a napkin, and together we'll see what slices we're served up.