Every little girl (and most dads) know the story of Cinderella. The orphaned daughter of a nobleman, Cinderella was forced to live amongst the ashes in the mansion that was rightfully hers. Then one night a miracle occurred, and the little girl in the ashes was transformed into a princess fit for the son of the king. The miracle of Cinderella is not the pumpkin carriage, the beautiful ball gown, or even the crystal slippers. The true miracle that night is the transformation of spirit in one girl’s life. For that evening, Cinderella realized her true self – and claimed her inheritance as the child of a nobleman.
We all face the challenge of Cinderella: to look up from the ashes of our old life and fully embrace our true identity in Christ. Only as we begin to grasp that we are loved by a Father who wants to give us all good things can we embrace our own unique personhood and become a member of his church, a bride fit for a king.
This day, pause and reflect: am I stepping out of the ashes and into my inheritance? In what way am I embracing the idea that God is my father, and that he wants to give me all good things?
—Howard Craig is the director of advancement for the Midwest Jesuits. He and his wife Cheryl have five daughters, six grandkids, and two dogs.