Loveliness Restored:
A non- fairy tale
Once upon a time in a land right across the street, there lived a lovely young girl who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. It was not remarkable that she was so beautiful, because many girls in her neighborhood were quite pretty, but this young beautys name was Loveliness.
Loveliness grew up in a household where she was loved. Her Mama loved her and her Papa loved her and even her brothers and sisters tolerated her pretty well. She got along well with others, in general.
As she grew, she started to dream about the man she might one day marry. She thought about handsome men and rich men and men who would make her happy. Her dreams always had a happy ending, in which she would be loved forever, just as much as she was loved at home.
Time went by and Loveliness grew up into a young woman, and she started to notice that men thought she was nice to look at and to be around. But she didnt know how to decide who to pick for a husband. She went to her Mama and asked, How will I find the man I should marry? And Mama answered, Loveliness, my dear, when you meet him, you will know.
One day, Loveliness was asked to a dance by a handsome young man. She put on her loveliest dress and fixed her hair just so, and she never looked more beautiful in her whole life. But her date, though he was handsome, was quite rude and disrespectful to her. When he took her home after the dance, he tried to kiss her at the door, but Loveliness did not like him and she refused.
When she went inside, Loveliness was crying because she had had such an awful time. Mama saw her tears and asked her what had happened. He tried to kiss me Mama, and I dont like him at all! she bawled, hoping that Mama would comfort her and tell her that she had done right.
Instead Mama wailed, What! A handsome, rich man like that wanted to kiss you and you were a prude! You should be pleased and thankful that he would like you. Maybe someday he will want to marry you and make you rich and happy.
Loveliness stopped her tears and thought, Maybe love is very different than I thought it should be. Maybe grown-up love doesnt have anything to do with respect and kindness. I dont understand what love is about.
Time went by and Loveliness kept dating the rude man. He treated her badly, sometimes mocking her in front of her friends, sometimes touching her in ways that made her uncomfortable, sometimes telling her that she should be more grateful to be with him. But Loveliness thought that this was grown-up love, so she pretended to like it. It hurt her heart to be so mistreated, but she was afraid that if she made a fuss, the rude man would find someone who could fix him and make him nice. And then she would be sorry that she wouldnt have him for herself.
So one day, when he was being especially nice (a very rare treat for Loveliness), he told her the truth. There was another woman that he loved more than her, and he walked away, not caring at all about her broken-hearted tears.
Loveliness went home and fell into Mamas arms, again looking for comfort. But Mama said, Well, you must have done something to drive him away. Again, Loveliness stopped her tears for a moment and thought. Then they broke out fresh again as she wailed, It IS all my fault. I wasnt supportive enough to him, or as affectionate as I should have been. She sobbed until sunrise, when she fell into a fitful sleep full of nightmares of her man kissing another woman. When she awoke, she was a little bit less beautiful than she had been, on the inside as well as outside.
Not long after, Loveliness met another man, less handsome and less rich, and he treated her about as poorly as the first man did. But she was ready to give him more love and kindness and support, and she thought things were going well, despite the fact that she suspected he was unfaithful to her. If only I am good enough, he will treat me well and marry me, she reminded herself. But after a while, the man figured out that he could be rather mean to her, and she wouldnt seem to mind. It made him love her less and he went away to another woman.
Again Loveliness cried herself to sleep and awoke much less beautiful.
Time went by, and the men who were attracted to Loveliness became less handsome and rich and more mean. But poor Loveliness thought that she deserved it because she was never good enough for a man to love her very long. She cried almost all the time, no matter whether she was alone or attached. She stopped calling herself Loveliness and changed her name to Dreadful. Her beauty was all gone, but her soul ached to be good enough for love.
Then one day, Dreadful saw a very wonderful man and her heart leapt high and her soul sang out with joy. He looked at her with dancing eyes, like she was that young beautiful girl again. But the fear and distrust that had been planted in her heart by her mother, and nurtured by all the men she had known, were like weeds that strangled any hope that he could ever love her. Sadly, she turned away in shame and pain. He could never love Dreadful and her heart would be broken once again.
But the wonderful man came to her. When he spoke, she knew that he was more wonderful on the inside than he was on the outside. He held her head up to look on his face and said, Loveliness, I love you with true love. Will you be my Bride?
Astonished, Loveliness answered, How can you love me? We have never met before. And I am not Loveliness any more, I am now Dreadful.
Mr. Wonderful replied, No, you are Loveliness to me. I have been watching you all your life. I know everything you have done, and still I love you.
You are crazy! Loveliness cried. You cant know the awful life Ive lived, and if you really knew me, you wouldnt love me.
No Loveliness, you are wrong. I am Jesus. I created you and love you. Before you were born, I knew everything about you, and everything that you would ever do. I have always loved you no matter what you did, the handsome man said. And if you will consent to marry me, I will give you a very rich life. And someday, I will build you a mansion and throw you the most wonderful wedding feast ever.
So Loveliness accepted Jesuss proposal. She began to live an amazingly rich life and grew richer in love. Throughout their engagement she became less Dreadful each day, and was restored to Loveliness. Everyone marveled at the change in her. And like he promised, Jesus built her a beautiful mansion!
And when their wedding day finally arrived, they lived happily ever after.
By Lamb's Love
copyright 2002
Foot of the Cross Publications
May be reproduced uneditted.
A non- fairy tale
Once upon a time in a land right across the street, there lived a lovely young girl who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. It was not remarkable that she was so beautiful, because many girls in her neighborhood were quite pretty, but this young beautys name was Loveliness.
Loveliness grew up in a household where she was loved. Her Mama loved her and her Papa loved her and even her brothers and sisters tolerated her pretty well. She got along well with others, in general.
As she grew, she started to dream about the man she might one day marry. She thought about handsome men and rich men and men who would make her happy. Her dreams always had a happy ending, in which she would be loved forever, just as much as she was loved at home.
Time went by and Loveliness grew up into a young woman, and she started to notice that men thought she was nice to look at and to be around. But she didnt know how to decide who to pick for a husband. She went to her Mama and asked, How will I find the man I should marry? And Mama answered, Loveliness, my dear, when you meet him, you will know.
One day, Loveliness was asked to a dance by a handsome young man. She put on her loveliest dress and fixed her hair just so, and she never looked more beautiful in her whole life. But her date, though he was handsome, was quite rude and disrespectful to her. When he took her home after the dance, he tried to kiss her at the door, but Loveliness did not like him and she refused.
When she went inside, Loveliness was crying because she had had such an awful time. Mama saw her tears and asked her what had happened. He tried to kiss me Mama, and I dont like him at all! she bawled, hoping that Mama would comfort her and tell her that she had done right.
Instead Mama wailed, What! A handsome, rich man like that wanted to kiss you and you were a prude! You should be pleased and thankful that he would like you. Maybe someday he will want to marry you and make you rich and happy.
Loveliness stopped her tears and thought, Maybe love is very different than I thought it should be. Maybe grown-up love doesnt have anything to do with respect and kindness. I dont understand what love is about.
Time went by and Loveliness kept dating the rude man. He treated her badly, sometimes mocking her in front of her friends, sometimes touching her in ways that made her uncomfortable, sometimes telling her that she should be more grateful to be with him. But Loveliness thought that this was grown-up love, so she pretended to like it. It hurt her heart to be so mistreated, but she was afraid that if she made a fuss, the rude man would find someone who could fix him and make him nice. And then she would be sorry that she wouldnt have him for herself.
So one day, when he was being especially nice (a very rare treat for Loveliness), he told her the truth. There was another woman that he loved more than her, and he walked away, not caring at all about her broken-hearted tears.
Loveliness went home and fell into Mamas arms, again looking for comfort. But Mama said, Well, you must have done something to drive him away. Again, Loveliness stopped her tears for a moment and thought. Then they broke out fresh again as she wailed, It IS all my fault. I wasnt supportive enough to him, or as affectionate as I should have been. She sobbed until sunrise, when she fell into a fitful sleep full of nightmares of her man kissing another woman. When she awoke, she was a little bit less beautiful than she had been, on the inside as well as outside.
Not long after, Loveliness met another man, less handsome and less rich, and he treated her about as poorly as the first man did. But she was ready to give him more love and kindness and support, and she thought things were going well, despite the fact that she suspected he was unfaithful to her. If only I am good enough, he will treat me well and marry me, she reminded herself. But after a while, the man figured out that he could be rather mean to her, and she wouldnt seem to mind. It made him love her less and he went away to another woman.
Again Loveliness cried herself to sleep and awoke much less beautiful.
Time went by, and the men who were attracted to Loveliness became less handsome and rich and more mean. But poor Loveliness thought that she deserved it because she was never good enough for a man to love her very long. She cried almost all the time, no matter whether she was alone or attached. She stopped calling herself Loveliness and changed her name to Dreadful. Her beauty was all gone, but her soul ached to be good enough for love.
Then one day, Dreadful saw a very wonderful man and her heart leapt high and her soul sang out with joy. He looked at her with dancing eyes, like she was that young beautiful girl again. But the fear and distrust that had been planted in her heart by her mother, and nurtured by all the men she had known, were like weeds that strangled any hope that he could ever love her. Sadly, she turned away in shame and pain. He could never love Dreadful and her heart would be broken once again.
But the wonderful man came to her. When he spoke, she knew that he was more wonderful on the inside than he was on the outside. He held her head up to look on his face and said, Loveliness, I love you with true love. Will you be my Bride?
Astonished, Loveliness answered, How can you love me? We have never met before. And I am not Loveliness any more, I am now Dreadful.
Mr. Wonderful replied, No, you are Loveliness to me. I have been watching you all your life. I know everything you have done, and still I love you.
You are crazy! Loveliness cried. You cant know the awful life Ive lived, and if you really knew me, you wouldnt love me.
No Loveliness, you are wrong. I am Jesus. I created you and love you. Before you were born, I knew everything about you, and everything that you would ever do. I have always loved you no matter what you did, the handsome man said. And if you will consent to marry me, I will give you a very rich life. And someday, I will build you a mansion and throw you the most wonderful wedding feast ever.
So Loveliness accepted Jesuss proposal. She began to live an amazingly rich life and grew richer in love. Throughout their engagement she became less Dreadful each day, and was restored to Loveliness. Everyone marveled at the change in her. And like he promised, Jesus built her a beautiful mansion!
And when their wedding day finally arrived, they lived happily ever after.
By Lamb's Love
copyright 2002
Foot of the Cross Publications
May be reproduced uneditted.
