7.18.2014

You Don't Want Prince Charming!

Ah, Prince Charming.  Pretty amazing fellow, isn't he?  Just when all hope seems lost, and the damsel is going to be subject to a life of dreary pain and suffering forever, in swoops our hero.  Clad in fine looking clothes, riding his majestic steed, and of course, terribly handsome.  And so, after experiencing love at first sight, the two ride off into the sunset to a wonderful life filled only with love and happiness.

  Totally realistic, right?

Besides the fair tale factor, there are a lot of things in this mindset that are wrong; and most of them we don't even notice.  For example:

  First Off, Who is This Guy Anyway?
           Think about it.  Let's start with the very first Disney prince: Snow White's hero.  Ahh, yup.  He meets all the Prince Charming requirements: Handsome (That's number one, of course,) strong, nice clothes, and a horse.  Add a bit of charmingly romantic good timing (he shows up at the well, he shows up just in time to kiss her, etc) and he is a complete package!




   But, if you stop and think about it, those are all outside things.  Anyone can dress nicely, or ride a horse.  And there certainly isn't a low on good looking guys.  So, what makes him the "perfect" one?  What if Snow White rode off with him only to find out that he is a tyrant who cares nothing of the well fair of his kingdom.  What is he is a lazy bum who is content to do nothing with his life?  What are his traits?  Is he honest?  Does he have a bad temper?  None of these questions ever get answered.  

    But hey, he has a nice smile.
~ ~ ~
 
  Once You Get Married, All The Work Disappears...Right?
        Oh, how about Cinderella's man?  Here she is living a dreary life of work and chores and no fun.  But then she went dancing.  Ah yes, that is definitely the best way to choose your spouse.  And talking is overrated too.  Why do you need to exchange names when you can gaze into each others eyes?
    



  But, while my point about Snow White's prince applies here too, there is something else here.  Before Prince Charming saved the day, all Cinderella did was work.  But now, work is all behind her, right?  Well, is work all that bad?  Yes, Cinderella was overworked, but yet married life isn't a cakewalk either.  So the view point that after you get married you will never wash another dish or scrub another floor is waaay off.  In reality, once married you will probably end up doing more work, and this becomes especially true when children come.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


     Why Think Logically When You Can Have Love At First Sight?
     And finally, Aurora steps in.  Her prince at least has a real name, but Charming applies to his personality more then all the other princes combined.  Finding a beautiful girl in the woods singing to herself, and then joining in and sweeping her off her feet, literally?  Mega Charming points.  End your very first encounter gazing out at the sun with your arms around each other talking softly?  Oh boy, can you get any more romantic?



  But, quickly, this raises problems.  Both of them are supposed to already be marrying someone.  But, you just had an "always-true" love at first sight experience.  And your very first, heart thumping, sigh-worthy, sight of "the one" couldn't be wrong.  No way.  All those sudden emotions are all completely trust-worthy.  

   Right?  


~ ~ ~ ~


    See, when you really think about it, often choices that these characters make could turn out bad, but because it's a story, of course that doesn't happen.  But, that doesn't always happen in real life. ;)  Especially as we all get older, it is important to keep some things in mind before throwing ourselves into relationships.

  1.  Things Aren't Always What They Seem
        Charm is deceptive.  Anyone can be charming if they want to be.  If someone wants to fool you into liking them, they can turn on the charm and make it seem like they are such great people.  But, it is their walk with the LORD, and their virtues that matter.  One who is handsome and gives you lot of attention may seem worth going after, but only someone who strives to live for the LORD and to please Him is truly worth your time.  Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't trust anyone, and judge their every move.  I'm simply pointing out that anyone who wishes to have more than just a friendship should be someone who is following the LORD.
  
  2.  Sudden Bursts of Emotion Cannot Always Be Trusted
       Our emotions can change so quickly and they change often.  It is easy to base decisions, some rather important, on our emotions at that second.  While emotions are not bad, and can even be very good, we still need to be careful not to rely on them too much as reasons for making big decisions.  I plan on doing a blog post about this in the near future. =)

  3. Hard Work is Not a Bad Thing, and Marriage Will Be Hard
      Obviously I haven't had a ton of experience being married ;) but still I want us to be careful, especially as we grow older and the possibility of marriage become closer, that we don't think of marriage as a "way out."  Being married, raising children, and running a household is hard.  The LORD did not promise us an easy life, even if we don't get married.  Even if we never have children.  But, no matter how hard this life gets, we can still be used by the LORD in marvelous ways.  I can't wait to see how He uses me.


~Jessica

*Disclaimer: By using the Disney Princess examples, I was in no way saying that Disney movies are bad.  I personally love Disney princesses.  I was simply using them as a story example.*



 

30 comments:

  1. Haha this is so true ! I love this post - so interesting !
    Eb x

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    1. Thank you, Eb!! I hoped someone would like it. I'm so glad you found it interesting! :)

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  2. Haha! Funny post and sooo true too... :P

    ~Natasha
    Thestoryofthisgirlslife.blogspot.com

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  3. Hahaa, I like how you used something we all know for the "lesson". ;) It is really true what you said, and another thing to add is, you don't have to 'love' one another. Emotions are nothing. They come and go with the wind. But, what you need it commitment to God and to your marriage. Then you will have the everlasting love from God! Sadly, because not many people have commitment anymore, divorce is so high. :(
    I was at the park about a week ago and I was watching a sweet, little girl. She looked like she was 8-10. I was looking at her because she had such a sad face. She was looking for someone, but she was standing with her mom, so I knew she wasn't lost. Finally, I saw another family walk up and she ran to the father in the family. Then it hit me. It was her Dad. Her daddy! But, it was all mixed up because her Dad had another wife and it wasn't her mom. Oh, how you could just feel the love that the little girl felt, then the sadness when her other dad called her away to eat her food. She waved to her Dad and sadly walked away.
    It was so sad to watch! I just sat there for a few minutes, saddened by what I saw. I know the love I have for my parents and imagine having to be ripped apart and torn from the life you knew. Oh, how divorce and re-marriage makes me so sad! :'(

    -Julia Ryan

    Writingforhisgloryblog.blogspot.com

    (Sorry for this really long comment ;) )

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    1. Oh, yes, this is so so sad.. =( To think of how many little lives have been affected by divorce. Thank you for sharing!

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  4. AWESOME post!! You just hit the nail on the head! =) thanks for the reminder! <3 you!

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you think so! <3 you too! <3 <3

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  5. Wow! Powerful post, Jessica! This reminded me of the new Disney movie Frozen and its morals!
    In fairy tales the bad guy is always in a black cape, you always know who he is, but in real life he is the guy you have so much in common with. He makes you laugh, he might seem the perfect husband, but things aren't always as they seem as you said. Wonderful post! Its great to see other Christian young ladies out there pleasing our Savior!

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    1. Thank you very much!! Yes, that was the biggest thing that I liked about the movie Frozen; that the "Prince Charming" turned out to not be the perfect guy. Thank you so much for your encouragement! =)

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  6. Thanks so much for this insightful post, Jessica! And for being brave enough to stand up against the stereotype "prince" that so often isn't really a Godly man at all.:)
    Blessings to your day!
    ~Hannah

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    1. Aw, thank you, Hannah! Thank you for all your encouragement! I have more posts like this planned, so watch out. ;) Blessing to you, as well! =)

      ~Jessica

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    2. Rather than watch out, I'm sure I'll look forward to them very much.:)

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  7. I love this post, Jessica! You are a great writer. Disney always did present love as a faultless, instant feeling. (Expect for Frozen, maybe) Keep writing! Love your new header:)
    In Christ,
    Sarah

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    1. Thank you Sarah! Aw, thank you! You are an amazing writer!! Yes, that was one big thing that made Frozen a great movie for me; the fact that the apparent "Prince Charming" didn't turn out to be the good guy. Thank you very much! Oh, and your welcome!

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  8. Sorry to be random, but I LOVE your new blog banner. =D

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  9. Ha ha this was SO true! I totally love this post, it was really interesting and realistic :)

    MJ // www.littlepandacrafts.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you MJ! I'm very glad you liked it!! =D

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  10. Excellent post! I've often thought the same about the Disney fairy tales, which, are adorable, but NOT realistic. Also, I love your new banner!

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  11. I awarded you on my blog! :D All you have to do is decide if you want to write it in the comment form or not! ;) I made up some REALLY funny questions though. =)

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    1. I'll do it! Thank you! Your questions are pretty crazy, I'm a little worried, both for me coming up with answers and your mental health!! ;D Hahaha!!! I'll get right too it! =)

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    2. Hey! Well... I must admit.. It only took me 5 minutes to write up all the questions and I hadn't been thinking about it at all. Lol! I can't wait to see your answers to my wacky questions!

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  12. Hi! I totally think you should do a post about emotions and choices! I did a blog post about making decisions...and making sure your emotions don't impact them because we are called to be Christlike no matter what!
    Have a blessed day...I love your writing!

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    1. Thank you! I have one in the making; I'm glad you hear you are interested in that topic! I'm going to look up your blog post. Thank you so much for your encouragement! =) <3

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  13. I love this post! It's so, SO true! And, yeah, Disney movies are great. :)

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  14. Sent you a an email to your yahoo.....

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Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think! I love comments; they always make my day, and they are what makes blogging worthwhile! =)