Frozen

It only seems fitting with colder temperatures approaching that this amazing realization has dawned on me: ELSA paints an incredible picture of life with fear and anxiety.

Would you believe I have watched the movie Frozen approximately 1,000 times…. possibly more this year than ever when it was released in 2013.

In all that time never once have I related this movie to anxiety or myself in any way, shape, or form. Recently Harper and Porter have been into Frozen, which results in it airing sometimes twice a day, depending on outside temperatures.

There I was, in my chair, trying vainly to tune out the singing enough to absorb something out of my journey through the Old Testament; but something shifted from Moses to Olaf and I found myself staring at the screen like I had never seen the movie in my life.

The first few times I watched this movie, I thought the following about the plot:

“classic Disney — kills the parents in a tragic accident (seriously it happens almost every movie)”

“But at least she didn’t need a prince to save her in the end, so for that Disney gets a thumbs up. I see you Disney.”

But this time, with my eyes fresh from the Word and fresh from processing elements of my own story of redeemed fear and anxiety, I see the Frozen plot differently.
I finally realized, the plot was speaking to something so much bigger than romance or Common fairytale storylines…. it’s really no wonder this movie is still so popular.

Elsa repeats over and over to herself, “conceal, don’t feel, don’t let it show.”

How many of us are doing this? Fear, like ice, keeps us paralyzed and frozen in place; living in fear can prevent speaking and shading; and concealing all feelings inside.

Ice— keeps you from sure footing this adversity, like fear, convinces you that you are better alone; it implies you are toxic and that the world is better without you.

Fear takes you captive as prisoner often without presenting that at some point it was a choice made. Maybe first but someone else but eventually accepted by you. Living in this cell leaves you chained to the past, unloved, and hidden.

You can see why Disney chose fear to bring about the “eternal winter,”and Elsa thought when she was alone that she was finally free? What Elsa believed was grave, dangerous and false.

When her parents take Elsa to the trolls, they ask a daunting question. “Born with the Powers or Cursed?” Let that sink in. Because that’s what so many ask of us ask in their hearts today— am I a burden? Am I blessing? Is there hope for me?

No one reborn in Christ is cursed.

The world is super quick to offer faulty insights for the women navigating those questions. The world, like Disney, convinces that “true love” can thaw your heart, that a kiss from the perfect man will set the world right?

That’s actually almost true.

True love can thaw, and that is a love only available through the way God loves us. He is challenging us to thaw our world, to love the people around us exactly as He loves us.

You are a beautiful creation BORN with a magnificent empowerment from
the Holy Spirit to change the world around you. We have crazy cool gifts of service and Spirit and the greatest of them all really is “love.”  You are the fire the world needs.

Love is kindness, patience and all that other good stuff.  Love is all consuming like a fire, it is the ultimate sacrifice for the warmth provided.

Love is standing in the storm with the people around you still trying to find something to thaw them and meet them where they are.

Do not let the “eternal winter” of the world — fear and anxiety— paralyze you so that you miss out on the the true love of an unfailing God who wants to thaw your heart.

Come sit by the fire with me— God is good and there’s warmth here, there’s food here and there’s so many other women who have stepped out of isolation and into the chorus singing loudly of the good news of the savior. There’s a place for you.

Are you Frozen? Can I tell you the secret…Love thaws, and I believe “Some people (YOU) are worth melting for”

I WANT TO LIVE LIKE OLAF…. so tell me do you want to build a snowman:)