One person who constantly reminds me that God wants what is good for me is my mom. She has such a skill for seeing what is beautiful in a dire situation. She did this very thing a year ago when I asked a girl friend of mine to go to the ballet “Cinderella” with me.
I love ballet and performances, and my friend and I had paid our $50 tickets and were so excited as we dressed up and came to the fancy event. Unfortunately, I had gotten the cheaper tickets and as we were directed by hostesses, we found ourselves sitting to the very left end on the fifth level of the building. I could barely see and was disappointed. I almost even started to cry. At that moment, I turned to my friend and asked her if she wanted to upgrade our tickets, not caring of the price any more. She felt my disappointment and gladly agreed. As I explained our situation at the ticket counter, while trying to hold back my emotions, the sales lady told me she would see what was available. She smiled at me with eyes of compassion (granted, this is just a ballet!!), and asked if I had $5 more . . . $2.50 each. Of course! I was willing to pay much more. But even a little closer was better. She smiled and wished me a great show as I walked away. We looked at the tickets and were ecstatic to see that we were on the FIRST level! There was no way that our price had covered those seats (the lady had hooked us up!!!!), and a sense of absolute joy made my steps light!
We walked to the first level, and what happened after that almost reminded me of a fairy tale. Seat hostesses would look at our tickets and then gesture their hand toward the stage as if to say: “continue to move forward.” We would smile at each other and then continue. Again and again. We moved up a row and then another. Finally, at the fifth row, the hostess directed us through the seats and right into the middle of the row. Beautiful and social men and women around us looked so professional and, well, wealthy . . . and welcomed us with pleasant smiles, as if we were a part of their club.
We were dressed nice, but did they know who I was?? Emily from El Cajon with the Hyundai Accent with a noise in the trunk? Emily with divorced parents and working for my own degree? Emily, from the fifth floor . . . the far left side of the fifth floor?
No. They didn’t! We again looked at each other with smiles that couldn’t hide our sheer excitement! The room darkened, the orchestra poised ready, and the show began! I could see every facial expression on all the dancers. I could see the violinist’s bow move across her strings. I was enveloped right in the middle of the music, and action and story, and surrounded by others with a taste for music and performance. I was lifted into another world, and could not have planned it that way if I had imagined it!
Telling the whole story to my mom the next day, my mom made an analogy to the way God loves us. No, no more dwelling on the top floor away from what you think you deserve. God calls to us and says: You, Daughter, will come down. And you will move forward. And you will be close. And this IS where you belong. I have not named you “Emily of the Fifth Floor” but I have named you “Emily of the Come Close!!” . . . J J
And so, whether pointed to it by an actual ballet here on earth or not, I know that I am of a Royal family. And perhaps never again to be felt here on earth, and not because I deserved it of my own, but it IS MINE! I belong to it, and it is mine. My identity is NOT with the things I believe I am captive to, even the sins and family of my past, but with what God has named my identity to be! Child of the King! Beloved of the Great Lover!
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