I am a declared Disney fanatic. Honestly, when I found out we were doing “Fantasies and Fairytales” as our theme for September, I was pumped. I have watched Cheetah Girls, Camp Rock, and Descendents in the last three months. High School Musical is a forever favorite, and I can dance the entire Hoedown Throwdown from the Hannah Montana movie. There are two videos of that for proof. Not exactly fairytales, but Disney classics nonetheless.

One of my favorite classic Disney scenes is the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast. You know, with Mrs. Potts singing “Tale as Old as Time”? I love the elegance of Belle’s dress, the slow softening of the Beast’s soul, the way they slide together across the dance floor, the way the Beast looks at Belle when she comes out in her new attire – her hair all done and a shy smile on her face.I have pictured this scene in my head a million times.. desperately wishing for someone to look at me the way that the Beast looks at Belle.. putting all my hope and expectations in someone that I haven’t even met and don’t even know.

A God who delights in His children

One of the most important things that I have been learning from God is how much He loves and delights in me. While I become tired and bitter towards the fact that I cannot get a guy to look at me the way Beast looks at Belle, God looks at me like that all the time. God looks at me like that when I am dressed up for a friends’ wedding reception. God looks at me like that when I am crying in my car, using all the breath I have to cry out to Him for help. God looks at me like that when I sit with a broken hearted friend, when I study for classes, when I just get back from the gym and am a hot sweaty mess.

Looking for approval in the wrong places

I got so tired of trying so hard to get someone’s attention, but Jesus wanted to give me that kind of attention the whole time. I have been looking for approval in the wrong places.God made me, and He delights in me – always. I believe this is especially important for women to remember and to remind each other in today’s culture.God doesn’t watch me or condemn me or shake His head in annoyance because I can’t put my life back together. These are things that I do to myself. At camp this summer, one of the chaplains told me “If you picture God talking to you in a condemning way, it’s not His voice.”

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus

Now let’s be clear, not everyone can say there is no condemnation. But if you are in Christ, you can. The blood of His sacrifice covers every square inch of my life. There is not a moment that goes unreconciled by His grace. So I never have to fear standing in the judgement of sinners.God wants me to see myself the way that He sees me – pure, holy, forgiven by Christ. God wants me to know how much He loves me. God wants me to know that He made me with purpose, and strength, and beauty, and tenacity, and all of the qualities that make me uniquely me. God wants me to cling to Him in the times of trouble and hold on to the promises that things will get better. God wants me to know that He looks at me like a loving and proud father looks at his daughter.

Psalm 30:11-12 says, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”

Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Jeremiah 31 is full of promises that God gives to His faithful people.

Take time this week to sit in the presence of God and ask him to remind you who you are in His eyes. He rejoices over you with singing. Let Him remind you that you are forgiven and beautiful and loved and pursued. Put yourself in a situation for God to do that. Block out the noise, listen to the wind, look for the little places that only God could know will enchant you. He delights in you.

He’s asking you for this dance. Will you delight in His presence? Will you allow yourself to be held by Him and fall in love with Him?

Take time to remind other women in your life how beautiful and loved they are, too. It is so important for us women to stick together and to point each other to the Biblical truth about who we are, who God says we are. Share this with a friend or tag someone in the comments as a loving reminder that they are a beautiful creation of God’s – they might really need that this week.

If you need a starting place, the inspiration of this blog is “We Dance” by Steffany Gretzinger. (Inspired by Psalm 30:11-12 and Zephaniah 3:17)

You are beautiful and loved. And God wants so desperately for you to know that.

Through out the month, we are going to open the chapters of our favorite childhood fairy tales to uncover the biblical realities behind our wildest fantasies. Follow along for the series: Fantasies & Fairy tales!