“Every transformation always gets worse before it gets better.”
I heard these immortal words last year and they deeply struck me. How did this person know this too be true? How were they so certain that anything worth doing or going through in life would always get worse before it got better? I pondered this for awhile after hearing it.
And then, a childhood memory came to the light.
Although I rarely watch T.V. these days, I just so happened to take one day right into the new year and saw that the Lion King was on. As a kid, I loved this movie! Like it was my FAVORITE Disney movie. I would literally get all of my toys associated with this movie, and line them up to watch the movie with me. Kids, right?
I was so fascinated by Simba’s story. Looking back, I never knew why I loved this story so much… until now.
There’s a part in the movie, that grabbed me. After Nala unites with Simba and tells him how his uncle, Scar, has ruined everything, Simba seems to not care. She begins to question him and drill him about how he had changed… wondering what happened to him. Simba gets mad at her, they get into a heated argument, and they go separate ways.
As he leaves into the open plains of Africa, he tells himself, “You can’t change the past.” After it hits his heart, he begins to cry into the sky to his deceased father saying, “You said you would always be there for me! But you’re not and it’s because of me… It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”
Out of nowhere, the mandrill, Rafiki, comes onto the scene – singing of course. He annoys Simba a little and tells him that his father is alive. He also tells Simba that he can take him to “see” his father. Unexpectedly, Rafiki leads Simba to a pond and shows him a reflection… of his father. As Rafiki does, he tells Simba that his father lives within him. Then, all of a sudden…
Well, you can watch what happens next:
Simba’s father soon appears in the sky. He tells him that he has forgotten him and that Simba has forgotten who he himself is. Simba’s father encourages him to remember who he is and to take his place in the circle of life. Simba, of course, is confused and thinks he is incapable based on his past.
After this encounter, Rafiki reminds Simba that yes, things do happen. Yes, life does happen, but you can move forward. You can learn from the past and take its lessons into becoming who you were always called to be.
Thankfully, Simba gets the point, returns to Pride Rock, defeats Scar, marries Nala, has a baby girl, and lives happily ever after!
Honestly, it’s only after seeing this movie, nearly 20 years later, that I’m reminded of a few things:
1. We cannot run from what happens to us or live in shame about it.
We have to face ourselves and use what happens to us to become who we were always called to be. By choosing to allow negative things in life to stop us, we are not only hurting ourselves but also those whose lives we are supposed to help based on what we experience.
2. God is always with us, especially in the dark times.
Though sometimes it may feel as if He is distant or does not care about us, He loves us unconditionally and always wants to let us know He is with us. We just have to believe He is and spend more time with Him to realize this.
3. Remember who you are and who you were created to be, especially in the dark times…
God wants us to remember who He created us to be and to deeply grasp this… We especially need to remember this in the dark times of life… the times when we become broken, unsure of ourselves, face rejection, lose hope or forget all that we have within us to become. As Simba’s father says, “Look inside yourself, you are more than what you have become.”
4. When you remember who God is in the dark times of life, it will also help you to remember who you are and Whose you are.
Dark times in life did not come to stay, they came to pass. God has equipped each of us to be overcomers, conquerors, dream-fillers, and more! He does not allow the dark times to come into our lives to overtake us, but to equip us into becoming who He has called us to be.
Remember, never forget who you are and who He knows *you* to be. Choose to become all that you were created to be.
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