Cinderella and The Lion

“I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables has been bouncing around in my head following Susan Boyle’s inspiring performance a week ago - particularly the stanza about the tigers:

But the tigers come at night,
With their voices soft as thunder,
As they tear your hope apart,
And they turn your dream to shame.

There’s a lot packed into those few lines, and I’ve ended up thinking about scriptural references to the ominous first cousins of tigers: lions.

Judah is a Messianic “lion’s cub” (Ge. 49:8-10) that develops into the Lion: the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (Re. 5:5).

Samuel tore a lion apart with his bare hands when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Judges 14:6).

Daniel was spared death in the lions’ den when God sent an angel to bind the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22).

God’s abundance is greater than any threat from hungry lions (Ps. 34:9-10).

The devil presents himself as a prowling lion looking for easy prey, but God’s grace is sufficient to overcome (I Pe. 5: 8-10).

Clearly, lions are symbols of power – creatures of incredible strength surpassed only by the might of the supreme Lion, God Himself.

In stark contrast, I might be seen as (an older version of) Cinderella.

Like the tigers of Susan Boyle’s dreams, lions of discouragement have growled their disapproval and provoked feelings of inadequacy in me for years. But through of her recent example, and the ongoing Christian witness of personal friends, I’ve been encouraged to dust off my buried dreams.

I exist to serve The Lion – the Aslan (both thunderstorm and kitten) of C.S. Lewis.

After all, this Lion is both the Dream-Giver and the Miracle-Worker, and can defeat any lions standing in the way of the realization of His dreams in me. I have renewed hope that it’s not too late, even at age ripe old age of 60. I see more clearly the necessity of passionately trusting this Dream-Giver, and then taking a single Cinderella-step-of-faith knowing the glass slipper will surely fit.


Note: AFTER writing this blog (but before publishing it) I happened onto the following web site (originating in Manila, no less). Amen!

http://mb.com.ph/articles/202917/stunning-surprises-life