A couple weeks ago, Tiffany and I had the opportunity to take an adults
only trip to our favorite destination, Walt Disney World. We had an amazing
time getting to act like kids, and act like kids we did! We stayed up late, ate
junk food, rode rides, and soaked up all the fun that Disney has to offer. It really
was a great trip, but something happened on the day we visited the Magic
Kingdom that set this visit above many others.
We went to see the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction, which is a neat little experience.
When you first arrive, you tour a mock-up of the cottage where Belle from Beauty and the Beast lived with her inventor
father, Maurice. You work your way into Maurice’s workshop and are granted access
into a special room through a “magical portal” where an abbreviated version of
the story of Beauty and the Beast is
presented, complete with a young lady dressed like Belle and some impressive
audio-animatronics of famous characters from the movie. What really makes the
attraction special, though, is that members from the audience get selected to
play other roles and be part of the story. Much to my surprise, I was
conscripted to play a suit of armor in the show and it was a thrill, especially
getting my picture taken with the princess after the show.
Now one of the things that Disney does that
makes it such a special place, and it goes back to Walt Disney’s original
vision for his Disneyland Park, is it invites people of all ages and
backgrounds to enter into the stories told in their movies. So what I witnessed
as part of that story time attraction accomplished that goal in spades.
When it came time to cast the role of the Beast, I was curious who
would be chosen. I figured a child would be selected, and most likely an
adolescent boy who felt he was too cool for the moment, but the person who was
chosen shattered any hint of type-casting. A little girl with Down Syndrome,
probably no older than five-years-old, dressed in her own yellow Beauty and the Beast ball gown was asked to play the Beast. My
heart was warmed, though I was a little curious how it would play out, but when
the lights came on, she was ready! Wearing a little red cape, she growled and
roared right on cue and illuminated the room with her effervescent exuberance
and an uncontainable smile.
The highlight of the whole experience occurred toward the end of the
story time when Belle was to dance with the Beast. As the beautiful princess in
her flowing yellow ball gown held hands with this precious little girl and they
“glided” across the floor, the little girl looked up at Belle with a star
struck gaze that could only be interpreted as, “This is REAL!” Needless
to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire room and I was glad I had my
knight’s helmet I could hide behind.
By my estimation, the Disney employee who selected the guests for the
roles made a calculated risk in casting the little girl as the Beast. She could
have clammed up, clung to her parents, or broke character in her scene-stealing
role, but in choosing the least likely of “actors” for that role, magic was made
that left a lasting impression on me, the others who witnessed that show, and I
imagine most of all, the girl herself. If only for a few minutes in time on a
January afternoon, she really was the Beast, dancing with the beautiful
princess after finding the love that changed her life. Getting to play a part
acting out a fairytale was something we will likely never forget, but it also
points to a role in a bigger story that must be told.
All of us have the opportunity to allow love to touch our hearts and
change our lives as we take our part in GOD’s love story to change the world.
We are invited to take on a new wardrobe (Colossians
3:12) and experience a new existence thanks to what GOD did for us in Jesus
Christ (Galatians
2:20). This is something that is available for all…it matters not who we
are, where we have been, or what we have done…all that matters is acknowledging
the truth that GOD has chosen to make salvation available to all of us, and not
just a select few, thanks to Jesus (1Timothy
2.3-6)!
Another truth we must confront and conquer, though, is that there are
people right around us who need to be shown that love and grace. We might look
down on them because they are different or don’t fit our own preconceived mold
of what is right, good, comfortable, or acceptable. When we look down at people
like this, we make them out to be less than human – “beasts” if you will – the
very ones Jesus gave His life to save. Beasts like you. Beasts like me. Beasts
like all of us who would do well to realize that the Lord is offering His hand to
join Him in the dance of life to gaze into His eyes and realize His love is
real enough to soften the hardest of hearts!
Watching “The Beast” dance with the princess touched my heart in ways
an animated movie never could. I think more importantly, I was impressed by how
the people at Disney looked for an opportunity to make a magical moment for a
little girl and her family at the risk of everyone else’s experience. And for
an organization that prides itself in perfection, this was no small risk. But
in the end, it was more than just a magical moment, because it was an example
for how we all are called to look for those opportunities to show others – even
the last, the lost, and the least – how special they are in the eyes of GOD.
As you look at your life, look for opportunities to help connect
someone to the loving embrace of the Prince of Peace. He is looking to join us
all in the dance of life, even the beasts
that we might be. And when we realize the depth of His love, it will soften
your heart, redirect your life, removing the shadow of a shallow existence, and
transform you into the beautiful creature you were designed to be. For as Paul
wrote: “We
all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change
in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord…” (2
Corinthians 3:18, NCV)
