Cinderella And The Redemption Story

We all know the story of Cinderella. The story of the little Cinder girl that was orphaned by her mother and left by her father. Left in her stepmother's care, abused, mistreated, and forced to work from morning until night. My favorite part of the story is when she finds herself out in the garden, crying, distraught over her circumstances and the fairy godmother shows up on the scene. She removes Cinderella's filthy rags and places on her a beautiful, elegant dress. Cinderella had tried to make her own covering, but her wicked stepsister's had torn it into rags. She makes a coach for her and sends her on her way to a ball that would forever change her life. The only catch is she has to be home before the clocks strikes midnight. She left the ball running, scared, and in her haste lost her glass slipper. We know what happens next, the prince finds her and places the glass slipper on it's rightful owner and they lived happily ever after.

This is a story of redemption and it reminds me of my story. I was like Cinderella....a girl left to myself, abused, neglected, and used. My prince came in the form of a man and sacrificed His own life on a cross for my redemption. He took my torn, tattered, stained garments and replaced them with rich robes. I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 He cleansed me and renewed my spirit within me. He loves me, and calls me by name. He has given me a hope and a future just like the prince in the story of Cinderella.

There is another story of redemption I would like to tell...it is a story of adoptive redemption. One year ago I bought this cute pair of shoes for the daughter I assumed we would have from Korea. God in His divine wisdom and providence gave us a son. A beautiful, perfect, sweet, Korean son. Before the foundation of the world God had planned to redeem Eli's life by placing him in a family that He knew would teach Him the holy scripture's and point him to His son Jesus. If Eli had stayed in Korea his life there would have been extremely different. He would be in an orphanage until he became a teenager and then he would have been on his own. He wouldn't have been given the much needed medical attention and surgeries that we are able to give him here. God could have chosen to call him and woo him in Korea. God will call whom He will wherever He wills to do it, but He chose to give him to us. We need Eli as much as he needs us. He has taught me to love unconditionally, to fight to bond and attach, and to see through God's eyes. Now back to the shoes. There is a little girl in Haiti I'm going to take these shoes to. I have a very romantic imagination and in my mind nothing would make for a better love story than for these shoes to fit our daughter. I would love to slip these shoes on little brown feet and know the little girl wearing these green shoes was predestined to be ours. However, God's ways are not ours and His plans are not our plans. So Jeremy and I are traveling on the 28th open to the will of our sovereign Father. I'm still taking the shoes and some sweet girl is going to be the recipient of them.(they are just too stinking cute)

We are trusting in the Lord and I can't wait to see His redemptive plan for our lives unfold. How wonderful is He to allow us simple minded, fallen, imperfect humans to perform His work in the earth.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to son-ship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have we wait for it patiently.  Romans 8:22-25


In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of you salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14