Love Knocks: Frozen

We all know the story, and we all know the songs. Even though the movie came out years ago, we still see the dolls, posters, toys, dresses, and other products everywhere. Of course, I'm talking about Frozen.

(Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/486177722245045988/)

Though it may be hard to look past the message of "women empowerment" that this movie is supposed to teach, I want you to try. The message I see when I watch this movie is the same one I see when I read a gospel. If you're willing to bear with me, I'd like to wrestle this very secular movie and turn it around to glorify God. So let's go!

To start, I'd like to define what I see different characters and aspects represent. First, there's Anna.

(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/220465344232479635/)

Anna represents Jesus, which will be explained further as we walk through the story.
Second, there's Elsa.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_(Disney))

Elsa represents each person in Creation. In short, each one of us.

Third, there's Elsa's power over ice and snow. To me, this represents a couple different things throughout the plot: our freedom as children of God, then our sin and our fear, and the lies of the enemy. I'll let you know when it represents what.

The story opens up to two sisters playing together and loving each other.  Mankind and Jesus hanging out before sin gets in the way.

(http://frozen.wikia.com/wiki/File:Anna_and_Elsa_building_Olaf.png)

Elsa is doing what she was made to do: make beautiful things with her snow powers, and Anna is celebrating her gifts with her. This is the part of the story when Elsa's powers represent freedom. But then Elsa hurts Anna with them, and everything goes wrong. Anna's injury is temporarily fixed, but the incident drives a wedge between the sisters, separating them.

(http://littlemissfluffet.com/page/12/)

When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their act ended up separating mankind from God. The law was introduced as a temporary fix, but the relationship was still broken.

Then comes one of my favorite correlations between Frozen and real life: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

In this part of the movie, Anna relentlessly pursues her sister, desperate to restore their relationship. No matter how many times Elsa ignores her or drives her away, Anna keeps coming back and knocking at her door.

(http://lovingthelanguageofliteracy.blogspot.com/2014/11/)

Every time I see that scene, I see Jesus: eager, loving, patient, and persistent. Longing for us to open up the door of our hearts so we can enjoy each other in the way we were designed to do. He hasn't forgotten what that was like.

When we see this part of the movie, we're filled with regret and longing, especially having seen the kind of friendship the sisters had before their separation. My opinion is that this feeling is a glimpse of what God feels towards those fallen souls he so desperately wants to save, but who keep rejecting him. Watching this scene, my main thought is: why would anyone do that? How can Elsa--and the people she represents--resist such a loving pursuit?

That's one thing I haven't mentioned: the reason Elsa locks Anna out. Elsa is hiding from her sister, trapped in an endless cycle of fear. A fear she can't control, no matter how hard she tries. The fear has complete control of her life, and eventually she's fighting it alone.

(http://www.dorkly.com/post/71657/things-that-still-bug-me-about-frozen)

"For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing"

Romans 7:19

My personal instinct when I'm feeling guilty for my sin is to hide and try to fix it myself. That was also the first response of Adam and Eve: they sewed clothes for themselves and hid from God (Genesis 3). But that's not the solution, which is another feeling we get when watching this scene in the movie. We want to smack the king and queen upside their royal heads for starting this cycle, even though they had good intentions. Hiding in fear isn't the solution for conquering it. Love is.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear... The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
1 John 4:18 NIV
http://bible.com/111/1jn.4.18.NIV

After the king and queen die, Elsa becomes queen, and her powers are revealed. Nobody wants their sin out in the open, so Elsa runs away. She is--understandably--very upset.

As we all know, she goes to a far-off mountaintop to sing away her troubles.

(http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Disney-Frozen-Elsa-Let-it-Go.jpg

This is the part of the movie that bothers me. Yes, it's partly because I'm tired of hearing the song. But mostly because of why I'm tired of it. The reason is simple enough: because it's played so often and is so popular. But that's not the part that bothers me in and of itself. I'll elaborate by telling a story:

I was once at a Newsboys concert at an amusement park. Before they came out, the opening band was all women. They played a couple songs, as is customary, but they ended with Let it Go.

Something seemed wrong to me, hearing a supposedly Christian band play that song. But what really disturbed me was a young woman in the crowd who was really getting into it, hands raised and crying.

Now, I have no idea what her life was like and why that song meant so much to her. I also know that God can take anything and use it for good. I guess the reason it bothered me so much is because of one of my personality quirks. When I hear a song from a movie, I'm instantly watching that movie in my head. And this is the issue that I have with this song: in the context of the scene in Frozen, Let it Go is a lie. It's a false freedom.

Remember the beginning of the movie when the ancient troll tells the secret for Elsa to overcome her fear? It isn't hiding from all human contact, which includes running away from it. The secret is love.

As Elsa releases her powers--which she still can't control or reverse--on the world, a blizzard is burying her kingdom. The kingdom she had sworn to serve earlier that same day.

You see, she's trying to conquer her sin by indulging it. She thinks she's free from her fear because she's ignoring it. Running away from what makes you afraid is not the same as being free from fear. And when we indulge our sin, it can have devastating, unseen consequences on those we love.

That's basically why I don't like this song, and why it disturbs me to see it so popular. Not to mention the fact that it ends with a not-so-subtle image of immodesty equating self-confidence.

(http://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/author/rhea-sinha/)

Yet while Elsa is having her snow day, and unconsciously freezing the world, Anna is still pursuing her. Somehow, Anna instinctively feels the truth: that love is the way to solve this mess. And more than that, she just wants to be with her sister, especially now that Elsa is troubled.

So once again, Anna finds herself knocking on Elsa's door.

(https://www.pinterest.com/thamm143/frozen/)

And once again, Elsa rejects her. But Anna won't have it. She didn't come all this way for nothing, and she is determined to love her sister no matter what.

When Elsa learns of her blizzard, she is plunged right back into her fear and regret. She gets so caught up in it, she can't even hear Anna's imploring voice trying to soothe her. This is another part of the movie that I can relate to. When I'm focusing on my fears, they start to become magnified in my mind until they're almost overwhelming. I find it hard to hear God's still, small voice in the midst of that storm.

(http://www.writeups.org/frozen-elsa-princess-character-profile/)

Up until this point, ever since she hurt Anna, Elsa's powers have mostly represented fear. Now we come to the part of the film where they represent sin: when Elsa strikes Anna through the heart.

(http://magiededisney.blogspot.com/2014/08/la-reine-des-neiges-2013.html)

I feel like this is a great picture of how much it hurts Jesus' heart to see us trapped in our sin. As the injury takes hold, Anna's hair starts to turn the same color as Elsa's. This is another great picture, because to save us, Jesus first had to become like us. 

Later in the story, Anna gives her life to save Elsa's, but it was this wound that really killed her. Jesus gave his life to save ours. But just like in Frozen, it was taking on our sin that really killed him.

Anna still loves her sister, even after she hurts her. But now she has to find a cure before she can pursue Elsa further. It is then that she finds out that only an act of true love can save her.

As Anna deteriorates more and more, she eventually discovers that the same thing that can cure her is also the cure for Elsa. But she doesn't stop to think about it, she acts. All she thinks about is that Elsa is in trouble yet again. And this time, Anna can reach her. Elsa is about to be killed as punishment for "killing" Anna. As her death stroke is falling, Anna arrives. At that moment, Elsa's wound takes hold and Anna is frozen. And the power of Elsa's death--Hans' sword--is broken.

Wow! What a beautiful illustration of Jesus' sacrifice for us. He took on our sin, and used the act to defeat our death, breaking its power over our lives forever. And he didn't do it because he had to. He did it out of an amazing, persistent, and powerful love.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

John 15:13

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A13&version=NIV

"For the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Hebrews 12:2b-3

And praise God, I get to continue with my post, because neither story we are examining today ends in death. Anna's act of true love cures her, and she comes back to life. And just as her sacrifice defeated Elsa's curse, so Jesus' death defeated the curse of sin. After being in the grave three days and three nights--just as he said he would be in Mark 8:31--Jesus came back to life as well.

Elsa can now use her power for good again, because Anna taught her that love casts out fear. Now that Elsa has found true freedom in love, she can finally receive her sister with joy. Anna's happily ever after is to be reunited with Elsa, and her pursuit is over.

Like Elsa, we have a choice in how we respond to Jesus' pursuit. We can lock him out over and over, trying to fix ourselves before we let him in. We can run away and ignore the life we should have, trying to be content with a false freedom. Or we can fall on our knees at the place of his manifested love, begging him to come and be with us.

(http://imgur.com/gallery/cUV8t)
(https://tearsfearsandineedtovent.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/at-the-foot-of-the-cross-5/)

I know which option I have chosen, and which option Jesus is longing for. I also know that to the last moment he will not stop pursuing us out of love. He's poised at the door of every heart, ready to enter. He longs to be there to laugh at every joy, and to comfort every hurt. Just like when Anna sang "I'm right out here for you. Just let me in!" He says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat (a form of fellowship) with that person, and they with me." (Revelation 3:20)

If you want to be saved from the consequences of your sin (which is death- Romans 6:23), and if this is the first time you've heard that call of love (Romans 5:8), and you want to know what to do--how to answer the door--here it is:

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

It's that simple: choose to believe that Jesus was raised to life by the power of God, and give him the lordship over your heart. Tell him out loud ("with your mouth") that you surrender to him, and ask him to come and dwell in your heart. This wins for you his fellowship not just in this life, but in heaven as well. This is why Christians call this story the "Good news"!

I hope this blog post was worth the read. It was definitely worth it to write. I love watching Anna pursue her sister across time and blizzards and rejection and death. And I love seeing that pursuit be successful. Whether Jesus' pursuit of us is successful or not is up to us.

So what will you do when love knocks on your door?
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/frozen/images/38947845/title/elsas-door-photo)

Boundless Love: Finding Nemo

I've been thinking a lot lately about God's love. It has many different aspects: it's unlimited (in every way!), undeserved, undying, and unquenchable, just to name a few. That's a lot of "un's"! There are also many ways to describe it (all of which fall short), and many different analogies we can use. One of my favorite analogies is the movie Finding Nemo.
(Image from http://www.impawards.com/2003/finding_nemo.html)

After a family tragedy, Nemo and his dad, Marlin, are pretty close. But Nemo is also feeling a little restricted. His dad won't let him do anything adventurous or fun. He won't even let him out of his sight, and Nemo doesn't know the true reason why. He thinks his dad doesn't have any faith in him, when in reality it's just to keep him safe. But then Marlin gives him a chance to get to know some other kids and explore the world a little by sending him to school. Just a little freedom! Nemo's pretty excited.

This is like people in the garden of Eden. They're really close to God, and life is pretty good. There's just one rule: don't eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Nemo's rule is to not go near the Drop Off.

Then his dad follows him to school, and embarrasses him in front of the people he's trying to impress. Out of rebellion, Nemo swims out to sea. He tastes the forbidden fruit.
(http://screenrant.com/finding-nemo-endanger-clown-fish-finding-dory/)

He thinks the worst thing that could happen is that he'll get in trouble. But he soon finds out what Marlin knew all along: There are many unknown dangers in the ocean.

When Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, they entered a whole new reality. Now there was such a thing as wickedness in God's perfect world. Their closeness to God was severed. They were cast out of the garden, and worst of all, separated from God, their Creator and Father.

Nemo is taken by a human, and separated from his father as well. He goes far away across an entire ocean, to a dentist's office in Australia.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwRq-N863pU)

Marlin doesn't know if his son is dead or alive, but he knows that Nemo can't return to him by himself. If he's going to be reunited with his son, Marlin has to go to him.

Just like Marlin, God knew that there was no way for humans to be reconciled to him unless he went to them. We were lost in a sea of sin, and in order to be reunited he had to dive in to meet us.

So that's what they did: God came to earth, and Marlin went out to sea. They both decided that being reunited was worth whatever it took. Their love was that powerful.
(http://www.cornel1801.com/disney/Finding-Nemo-2003/film3.html)

That reunion came at a great cost. Jesus had to suffer immeasurable pain, being tortured to death by the very people he loved. Marlin had to face all his greatest fears, including sharks, jellyfish, getting eaten (by a whale and a pelican), getting lost, and worst of all: reaching his destination only to find that his son was dead (not really, but he didn't know that).

And yet death was not the end, in either case. Nemo ended up in the ocean, and got to be reunited with his father. Jesus rose from the dead, defeated sin, and paved a way for us to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. And not only was the cost considered worth it in the end, it was considered nothing. Jesus endured the cross "for the joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:2). That joy was the reunion of Father and children, which he was looking forward to even then.
(https://redefiningscientists.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/ocean-acidification-and-finding-nemo/)

God's love is bigger than an entire ocean. It is as big as he is, because he is love.  Wherever he is, there is love. And whatever he is, his love is too: immeasurable, uncontainable, omnipresent, and indescribable. He thought that you were worth all he could give, like the parable of the merchant with the priceless pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). He would cross an ocean of dangers just to meet you where you are and hold you.

Now, there's another character in this story you may have heard of. Her name is Dory.
(http://www.themarysue.com/review-finding-dory-as-good-as-finding-nemo/)

Dory is clueless. Some random fish ran into her one day, said he was chasing a boat full of fish-napping humans, and she said "sign me up!" She followed Marlin across the ocean, getting to know him and like him. While she was doing that, some of Marlin's love for Nemo kind of rubbed off on her. She ended up being the one to eventually bring Nemo to Marlin so they could be together.

What does that remind you of? That's right, us. Those of us who have already been reunited with God get to hang out with him, as well as join him on his search for his kids. The more time we spend with him, the more of his love rubs off on us. Eventually, hopefully, we can even experience finding one of his kids and showing them the way back to him.
(https://keskelson14.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/finding-nemo-acting-styles/)

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ!"
Ephesians 3:16-18

Terrorists: Zootopia

Shortly after the bombings in Paris on 11/13/15, I was sitting in the cafeteria at the community college I attend. I watched a young man walk in who to me looked nervous and "shifty." He also looked middle-eastern in origin. I kept an eye on him as he walked through the part of the cafeteria where they sell food. He walked around the area a couple times, but didn't buy anything (something I myself have done many times, which is a fact I didn't remember at the time). All these factors worked together to get me in quite the state of anxiety. And then...

Nothing happened. No bomb, no gun, no reason for any kind of worry at all. I was heartily ashamed of myself for steriotyping and for my prejudice.

I remembered this moment in my life when I watched the movie Zootopia for the first time.
(Photo retrieved from http://movies.disney.com/zootopia)

In Zootopia, there are two main groups of animals: Predators and prey. In general, there's a lot of prejudice against predators; speculation that they've never truly lost their historical hunting, killing instincts. Then that's all magnified when predators around the city start to "go savage."
(https://thedoublethumb.com/2016/03/17/zootopia-movie-about-adorable-animals-crack-cocaine/)

"Going savage" means that the predator becomes the animal that we all know it as, instead of the upstanding citizen it was before. So a lion, for example, starts attacking the prey around it with no evidence of rational thought.

When this is all unearthed, the prey animals start to get worried, and understandably so. Instead of limiting their prejudice to muttered comments or a dirty look, they start firing predators (they replace their lion mayor with a sheep), and advocating for things like relocating all the predators from the city.
(http://furriescentral.tumblr.com/post/137373991480/bearfrickker-lxlna-please-appreciate-my-son)
(https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2016/03/05/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-zootopia/)

So how did this movie remind me of that day in the cafeteria? It was because that same fear that I felt that day was pulsing through the characters on my television screen: the prejudice and steriotyping that led to panic and descrimination.

The suggestion of completely removing the predators from their society also rang with the politicians and social media pages that suggest we remove Muslims from America. We never know which one will "go savage" next.

But the thing about the movie is, it ended up not being the predators' fault that they were becoming terrorists. They were being poisoned by someone who wanted them out of the picture.

That's where the comparison stops, right? After all, real-life terrorists know exactly what they're doing, and they signed up for it.

Well, maybe not. Remember what Jesus said on the cross? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34). I don't think he was just talking about the Romans who hung him there. I think he was praying for everyone who persecuted him, as well as all those who would persecute us, his kids. And I don't think he expects us to do anything different when we are attacked and brutally murdered either. He was following his own command to "pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44).

But let's hone in on maybe why he said that "they" didn't know what they were doing.

Let's build a recipe for a terrorist:
1) They're slaves to sin, and are ruled by self-interest and pride.
2) Pride tells them that they're more important than other people.
3) False religion tell them that they're more righteous than other people as well.
4) Mix steps 2 and 3, and it's easy to conclude that anybody who isn't as important as them deserves to die. It's the same rationale that the Pharisees had when they dragged an adulturess before Jesus.
5) Kill everyone who isn't as righteous as them, and their religion rules the world.
Cook for several years while repeating lies and drilling the false religion deeper and deeper into their heads, and serve while hot. Congratulations, you have a religious radical who's ready to be unleashed into the world.

But they don't really know what they're doing, because everything they're listening to is a lie. That's the poison. They believe lies, and so they "go savage."

So what are we supposed to do? We don't have to look far to find out. In fact, we've already talked about it: Matthew 5:44 and Luke 23:34. Pray for those who persecute you, for they do not know what they are doing.

When I think about terrorists and the jealous anger of my Daddy in heaven, I feel nothing but pity for those guys who dare to touch his kids. But I also know that they hold a corner of God's heart that no one else does, and that deep down, what he really wants to do is save them (2 Peter 3:9). So that's why we ought to intercede for them. To use our status as God's beloved kids to appeal to that corner of his heart that wants to forgive and adopt, just as he did for us.

That way, perhaps predator can partner with prey, just as in Zootopia. We need to defeat the plot of the evil one, which is to take as many of us with him as possible. His fate is sealed, but the fate of the Muslim terrorists don't have to be. They are not the enemy. The enemy is the one with the poison in his hand.
(http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Judy_Hopps)

Don't Doubt God: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

(Photo retrieved from https://taleofthelimetree.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/read-seen-5-may-2015/)

Yes, I know that this was a book first, and yes, I know that the movie doesn't follow the book as well as we all hoped it would. But no, this post is not about the book, it is, indeed, about the movie.

The most recent time I watched this movie, I was just thinking about how clear the message/lesson is in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I figured that Voyage of the Dawn Treader would probably have some lessons to learn as well, knowing C.S. Lewis, so I payed extra close attention to see if I could pick them up. Here's what I noticed.

I like the way this movie follows not just one story, but four. Eustace's story, Lucy's story, Edmund's story, and Caspian's story. Each of these characters goes through some clear character development. Eustace's is the most drastic, but the others are just as important to look at.


Eustace's story is titled: Don't doubt what God can do. Here's why.
At the beginning of the movie, Eustace Scrubb is--how do I put this nicely--weak. He's lazy, nerdy, selfish, clever (but uses it to his advantage), and prone to complain and babble. He doesn't believe in fairy tales, magic, or Narnia. And he most definitely doesn't believe in Aslan. If you think back to Edmund in the first movie, you can most certainly see that these two are related.

(http://narniafans.com/tag/eustace-clarence-scrubb/)


Then Eustace is half-drowned in a painting, and his views on the existence of magic begin to change. However, he fights it with all his might. He never changes out of his British clothing, keeps insisting that he's going to charge his rescuers with kidnapping, and gets the most irritated when something unbelievable or illogical happens (like meeting a talking mouse). He drives himself into misery, and persists in his refusal to believe anything that isn't plainly shown him. A true Doubting Thomas.

However, that all changes when he takes things a little too far. He's too clever for his own good, and too lazy for the good of anybody else. He's sore for being left behind from an adventure, and wanders away from his duty. He then discovers a dragon's treasure.
(http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_treasure)

As Eustace puts it, "Finally, a favorable turn of events." And given the eventual outcome, I have to agree. His greed takes over, as you might expect, and he starts hoarding the gold and jewels with all his might. Unfortunately, the dragon's treasure is enchanted, and he turns into a dragon himself. This seems to be the final straw, the last blow to the wall of what his mind believes is impossible.

This dramatic event turns things around. The warrior mouse turns him from a cowardly dragon into a courageous one. He's helpful, thoughtful, hopeful, and more friendly. He exhausts himself towing the ship through a windless day, then gets wounded while fighting off his cousin's worst fear. He ends up alone on a sandy bank, faced with one more impossible task: changing back.
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/images/18134720/title/narnia-3-dragon-eustace-photo)

Apparently, nobody can change themselves from a dragon into a son. Only Aslan is capable of such a dramatic change as that. And yet, he can do it. We just need to let him.

Eustace, now a boy again, ends up helping to save the day. He fights off the green mist of temptation, and places the final sword on Aslan's table to put an end to The Evil. He's the first one to spot Aslan at the edge of the world. He adopts the clothes of a Narnian. He apologizes to his cousins and friends for how selfish he used to be, and glories in their acceptance of him.What the Eustace Scrubb from the beginning of the movie would have said was impossible rubbish, happened. And the Eustace Scrubb who emerged from the story was one who would no longer call anything rubbish or impossible, especially when Aslan was at the helm.

So no matter what it is that we may think is impossible for God to do, we should probably look at it again. Because God can do anything he pleases.
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" -Matthew 19:26
(http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Chronicles-of-Narnia-The-Voyage-of-the-Dawn-Treader-Blu-ray/19648/)



Lucy's story is a very familiar one for a lot of us. Hers is titled: Don't doubt who you are.
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader25.html)

When we open up on Lucy, it seems like she's just as confident, sweet, and fearless as ever. However, we soon discover that under the surface she's facing a lot of self-doubt. She's watching her sister--as we know she's been doing her whole life, even in Narnia--as men swarm around her. Lucy's getting old enough to start to want that kind of attention, but she's never gotten it. She's always been the little sister, and she fears she always will be. She's forgotten that she's just as much a queen of Narnia as her sister is.

Then she gets a dream come true: one last return to Narnia. She gets to take an active part in one last big adventure. But not in a beautiful dress. In a deleted scene (and in the book), it is explained to her that there are no female clothes on board the ship, so she'll have to dress like a man. So she spends the movie wearing a big, baggy shirt and pants. Not exactly the kind of wardrobe (haha) that you want to wear when you're trying to be more beautiful and attractive.

But she takes it in stride, and uses it to re-embrace her identity as Queen Lucy the Valiant.
(http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/Lucy_Pevensie)

However, she's then sent into an enchanter's house to flip through his book of spells, and is suddenly facing the person she's always wanted to be, a reminder that she doesn't think the person she is is good enough.
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader19.html)

She looks at what a little bit of magic could do for her, and forgets any potential consequences as she seizes the chance. But then things go a little south. She had always thought that she wanted to be like Susan, but what she hadn't realized was that what she really wanted was to be Susan. She wanted to be forgotten in order to be noticed. She wanted her entire existence, with all the good things she had done when she was just being herself, to be erased so that she could finally get what her sister had. As Aslan put it, she "wished herself away." And she had to experience it to know just how bad it would be.
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8192476/Narnia-gets-its-sparkle-back.html)

Just like Lucy, we sometimes lose sight of who God made us to be in the craziness of watching others. We admire people, think ourselves inadequate, and then imitate the people we admire in order to be admired. I'm sure this isn't news to you, but it pays to have a reminder of just how dangerous that idea is. You see, in order to feel inadequate, we need to be listening to the Accuser and believing him as he points out all our flaws. Which means we are believing lies. Sometimes they are disguised as truth. After all, we are all flawed and imperfect without God's grace, forgiveness, and salvation. But it points us in the wrong direction. In God's kingdom, when we find a flaw in our ways, we repent, and he forgives us and forgets about it. But Satan points out the wrong flaws, so that, in trying to fix them, we turn to other flawed human beings that we view as being better than we are.

But the truth is this: God made us. And God doesn't make mistakes, he makes masterpieces. He hand-crafted each and every human being on the planet. That means me. And that means you. He didn't design us to be put together on an assembly line. He picked out each and every aspect, point, curve, color, shape, height, build, characteristic, talent, skill, mindset, attitude, and texture and carefully placed each and every one with love and skill. He made each person unique, like a glass-blower at his craft. He put his mind and effort into it wholeheartedly, delicately putting each part in its place.

However, since we're sinful, we're flawed, right? Yes, if we have not given our lives and our hearts to Jesus. But once we have, God doesn't see us as flawed anymore. All our flaws--spiritual, emotional, and physical--were nailed to the cross with Jesus and crucified there. So God is able to completely disregard them, and sees us as the beautiful treasure that he created in the first place.

Lucy learned this the hard way, and so have many of us. In fact, I'm still not able to completely grasp the truth and embrace my own identity as God's bride. I still struggle almost every day with seeing myself as inadequate, as I know many others do in varying degrees. But it's not too late to start to turn around. Like Lucy did, we can just say, "that was awful" and start to train ourselves to see us as God does.

Anyway, back to the story. After learning all this, Lucy gets to face life as herself again, and help others fight their fears and temptations. She even has a special moment where she is admired by another little girl (which wasn't in the book, but I like it), and gets to pass on the new message.
(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/500955158523889695/)

Then there comes this moment, and the significance is evading me. They go into the dark island to fight The Evil, Edmund awakens this monster, and they all start fighting it. Including Lucy, because as we all know, she is valiant. But the moment I'm talking about is this: when Lucy uses Susan's bow (and, come to think of it, Edmund is using Peter's sword). Didn't we just establish that Lucy is not the new Susan?
(http://www.narniaweb.com/2010/06/dawn-treader-trailer-screen-caps/attachment/074/)

It could just be a cool thing that the movie makers came up with to have the younger siblings take up the weapons of the older ones, but I think there's something deeper than that. Right now, I'm thinking it's this: that just because you are not that person you admire, doesn't mean you can't learn from them. You can take up their weapons, learn from their experiences, and use their training and advice to face the dangers and trials you have come against. And in the end, come out victorious.

That's what happens with Lucy. They defeat the bad guys, sail to the edge of the world, and meet Aslan there. Then, through many tears (including my own), they say goodbye to Narnia until the end of time, holding to the promise that Aslan will always be with them.
(http://torrents.st/the-chronicles-of-narnia-3-2010-1080p-bluray-h264-aac-rarbg)

Lucy gets back to our world as a new person, confident in her identity as Aslan's beloved, and ready to take on the next adventure that he has for her: finding him in her world.
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-chronicles-of-narnia/images/26749005/title/chronicles-narnia-voyage-dawn-treader-screencap)



Edmund's story, at my first glance, just looked exactly like Peter's in Prince Caspian. However, on closer examination, it's not. He may say many of the same things Peter does, but for different reasons. Edmund's story is titled: Don't doubt your God-given calling.
(http://skandarkeynes-.tumblr.com/page/2)

Edmund's story starts not in this movie, but in the first. Once upon a time, there was this little kid who was tired of taking orders from his brother. In his mind, his brother had no right to order him around. Inside, he desperately wanted to get out from under Peter's shadow and make his own choices.

Then his little sister discovers a magical land. Edmund follows her into it, and meets up with a woman.
The White Witch discovers his hunger and uses it to her advantage. She bribes him into betraying his siblings. Not with Turkish Delight, as you might think, but with power. She promises to make him king. This is a sneaky ploy, because she knows that it is his destiny to be a king anyway.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/102537907@N03/14188457277)

We all know what happens to that plan. Edmund falls for the lie, regrets his decision, Aslan saves the day, and all four children become rulers of Narnia. With Edmund under Peter, as Aslan had intended it to be all along.

Edmund has learned from his mistake, and rules at his brother's side with enthusiasm. In the second movie, he is constantly coming to Peter's aid and is content with letting his brother lead. He gives him advice, but still follows him whether he takes the advice or not.

Then we come to movie number three: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Here, we discover that something is brooding inside Edmund, tempting him to be discontent again. I think it may start in one of the earliest scenes, when King Caspian pulls the kids out of the water and introduces them to the crew as the "High King and Queen of Narnia."
(http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Lucy_Pevensie)

That statement seems to awaken in Edmund that old desire to be calling the shots. Then his hopes are crushed again when Caspian remains in charge. He seems to let go of it, however, until he finds a certain pool. A pool that turns everything into gold.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTZdjLfkydk)

Suddenly, the possibilities are wide open again. He has a way out from living in a shadow; from, as he puts it, "playing second fiddle." And he seizes the opportunity to challenge Caspian's authority.
(http://www.dragonblogger.com/dvd-review-chronicles-narnia-voyage-dawn-treader/)

His temptation makes him lose sight of what Aslan called him to: being second. There is nothing wrong with Edmund's leadership or ability, it is just not his job to be completely in charge. But he forgets that, and forgets that he was once content with it. He even starts to fight Caspian.

Thankfully, Lucy snaps him out of it, and he throws the temptation away. He then goes on to be very heroic as he re-settles into his role as second in charge, because that is yet again where Aslan is calling him to be.

But then they get to Dark Island to find the last sword, and the green mist of temptation raises its ugly head yet again. Literally. But not this one:
(https://www.fxguide.com/featured/narnia_the_dawn_treaders_vfx_crew/)

This one:

(http://www.jessmountifield.co.uk/2013/03/09/the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-a-review/)

That's right, the White Witch resurfaces one last time to taunt him. She offers him power yet again. But this time, Edmund is ready for her. He has finally accepted his calling, and refuses to turn to any other path. He refuses to be an ally of evil ever again. And she leaves him. Finally. And Edmund is free to be who Aslan has called him to be.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -James 4:7
(http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Interview-The-Chronicles-Of-Narnia-s-Skandar-Keynes-22052.html)


Caspian's story is not as pronounced as the others, and is kind of lost on the background. However, his, too, is important. It is also familiar, especially to me. Caspian's story is titled: Don't doubt your ability.
(https://www.pinterest.com/explore/prince-caspian/)

We meet up with Caspian when he (almost literally) runs into the Pevensie children. He's overjoyed to see them, of course, but he's not quite sure why they're there. After all, he has everything well in hand, and he's led many successful campaigns since they left. So he wonders what it is about this campaign that he needs help with. This wonderment comes into play a little later.
(http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/ben-barnes/images/31523898/title/caspian-voyage-dawn-treader-photo)

Soon afterwards, Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy explore an island and find the enchanted pool that turns anything into gold. Here Edmund, as we just talked about, is tempted to seize power for himself. As he fights Caspian, he accuses him of insecurity. As he puts it, "You doubt yourself!"
(http://flickdirect.com/movies/955/the-chronicles-of-narnia-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/movie.ashx#/gallery_1/2)

That's the first hint we have of what Caspian is struggling with in this movie. Edmund saw it first because he was Caspian's confidante. But we see it too eventually.

When the Dawn Treader reaches Dark Island, and the green mist of temptation shows up, it does something unexpected to Caspian. Instead of "tempting" Caspian to do something, as with Edmund and Lucy, the mist just lies to him, taking the form of his father and telling him, "You're a great disappointment to me. You call yourself my son, and act like a king." This is a roundabout way of tempting Caspian to doubt his ability to carry out what Aslan called him to: rule Narnia (sidenote: this is something Satan does, too. He lies to us to get us to doubt ourselves and, ultimately, God. For more about that, read my post Satan's Seeds in my other blog, Sunset Room http://insidethesunset.blogspot.com/2016/03/satans-seeds.html)(http://www.hotflick.net/pictures/010TCN_Nathaniel_Parker_001.html)

Now we come back to wondering why Caspian needed help on this voyage. True, they ended up fighting something very powerful, and the kids from the other world come in quite handy for that sort of thing. But Caspian didn't know that when they first showed up. In his mind, it could be argued, the presence of the Pevensies meant that Aslan himself didn't think Caspian able of accomplishing the task of tracking down the faithful lords among the Lone Islands. If Aslan thought he needed help, then maybe he had failed his calling.

I know that is probably stretching things, but it helps us get in the mindset of how this powerful, capable king could have become this insecure, scared man who wants nothing more than his father's approval.

Anyway, so the green mist is tempting Caspian to doubt himself. But by doing so, it is also tempting him to doubt (or forget) Aslan. After all, Aslan is the one who crowned Caspian king over Narnia. So if Caspian is unable to do it, does that mean Aslan didn't know what he was doing?

Like Caspian, it is easy for us to doubt our ability to carry out God's calling in our lives. Especially if that feeling is reinforced by those we respect and love (like Edmund for Caspian). But that's because when God asks us to do things, he doesn't want us focused on our ability to carry them out. He wants us completely focused on him. This links back to what Eustace learned: nothing is impossible for God. So if God is able to do it, that means it can be done, even if he is doing it through us.

One example of this is a couple weeks ago, when I had an oral presentation to give in a class. I took a public speaking class as a prerequisite, but almost the only thing I learned was how bad I am at public speaking. In fact, speaking in front of a group is one of my greatest fears, and one of the only things I've ever told God, "no" about. Nothing has changed that. Not surrender, not giving him my fears, not anything he ever said to reassure me. I was absolutely convinced that I was a bad public speaker.

But this semester, I've been learning in dance class about how different we are because God lives in us. We've been getting a more in-depth look at what the truth is about us as children of God. The truth being: it is no longer we who live, but God who lives in us. So when I was praying about this presentation, and pretty much asking God how on earth I was supposed to pull it off, he showed me that when I was picturing it happening, I was picturing all my past failures and embarrassing moments. Then he reminded me that it is him working through me that accomplishes things. He told me instead to picture him giving the presentation. He's a king, so he's pretty good at public speaking. He also knows his stuff when it comes to scientific topics (or any topic, for that matter). So when he gives a presentation on food allergies in pets, it is just about the best presentation you've ever witnessed.

Well, mine wasn't. It still took a lot of practice, and I didn't say everything perfectly. But the big difference was, I wasn't nervous while I was speaking. My mind usually goes blank when I speak in front of people, but this time, the thought that God was in me and capable, combined with the preparation work I had done (under his direction), made me more relaxed. Once again, God proved faithful. And my oral presentation was no longer impossible when it was done through him. Not only that, but I no longer believe the lie that I'm a bad public speaker. God can do anything in me, and sometimes I just need practice.

So back to Capsian. The green mist of temptation is defeated, but his self-doubt remains. He sails to the edge of the world to find his father, but then finds out from Aslan that in order to find his father, he'd have to give up ever returning to Narnia. He almost does it, but then realizes his mistake. He was given a gift. He was called to do something great. And even though he may not be perfect, it is still his job to do. And the best way to make his father proud is to carry out the calling that Aslan placed on him. As he puts it, "I can't imagine my father being very proud if I gave up what he died for."

In the same way, we shouldn't give up what our Father died for. We should live to make him proud. And we shouldn't doubt our own ability to do what he calls us to. Instead we should trust that God knows what he's doing, and is able to do what he calls us to through us.

Caspian ends by going to Aslan and promising to be a better king. In return, he gets the confirmation, "You already are" which means that Aslan is still calling him to be king, and is still working in him to be better.
"He who began a good work in you is able to carry it on to completion." -Philippians 1:6
(http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00004032/narnia_dawn_treader31.html)

So in all, we can learn a lot by watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
1. Don't doubt what God can do
2. Don't doubt who you are
3. Don't doubt your God-given calling
4. Don't doubt your ability to carry it out, because God is working through you, and nothing is impossible for him.
(http://www.ibamadeira.com/2013_03_01_archive.html)