The Beauty or the Beast (a fable)

The Beauty or the Beast (a fable)

Once upon a time in a far off land, there was a story that floated around a kingdom. A story of a magical item that would show the owner his or her best friend and his or her worst enemy.

Many people searched far and wide over the kingdom for this magical item. It should be worth a great price when it was found. 

One day, a young girl was cleaning up in her grandma’s castle attic. This girl was truly beautiful inside and out. However, she never realized it about herself. There were kids at the local school that were cruel not just to her, but to many others as well. She always wished that someone would stand up to them. She wished it could be her. Unfortunately, she knew that fairy godmothers weren’t real and wishes don’t always come true.

While she was cleaning, she almost knocked a very dusty box off a shelf. As she went to catch it, she noticed some very nicely lettered words:

“The contents of this box will show the owner his or her best friend and his or her worst enemy.  Open at your own risk.”

THIS box must contain the item from the long told story. The girl’s curiosity got the best of her. She eagerly and carefully lowered the box to the floor and proceeded to open it.

Inside she found…… a mirror. “That’s it?” she angrily exclaimed, “There are mirrors all over the kingdom. Why is this one any different?”

She lifted the mirror and as she truly saw herself a small piece of paper floated to the floor. It said:

While an ordinary mirror this may appear,

Let it show you very clear.

The person you know you are and others see

Or believe what the beast tries to tell you to be.

YOU can be your best friend….or your worst enemy.

Moral of the story: We can be so hard on ourselves and so caught up in what others opinions are of us that we fail to see how truly wonderful we are.  The “beast” in your life may be at your school, in your house….or worst of all in your own head. Let your beauty shine. It is SO much more than what appears in a mirror.

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV) to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.