Getting What You Think You Want

I have been shirking my blogging duties over the past few weeks.  Life has been a little crazy, so sharing my ramblings on Once Upon A Time has taken a back seat.  Fortunately, there have only been two new episodes (thanks to the Super Bowl!), so I don't have as much to catch up on.

Both episodes have me thinking about what happens when we go after what we think we want, what we think will satisfy our desires, with little or no regard for the consequences.  How quickly we compromise on our convictions for the sake of satisfaction.

Mary Margaret & David arrange secret meetings or sit very near each other at the diner.  Despite his promise to his wife, they are determined to be together, because that is what they want.  In the end, Mary Margaret realizes it's an impossible situation.  David is still married to Kathryn and isn't free to have the kind of relationship Mary Margaret longs for.

We find out that the Queen's magic mirror was once a genie, set free by her husband (Snow White's father).  The genie falls in love with the Queen and pursues her heart despite the fact that she's already married.  The Queen uses his love against him to accomplish the murder of the king.  The genie uses the last wish left in the lamp to make sure he will never be parted from the Queen.  And so, he winds up in the mirror.

Sydney (the mirror as he is in Storybrooke) comes to Emma with a desire to bring down the mayor.  Although Emma refuses to stoop to the mayor's level, Emma does eventually play dirty in order to get the information they need.  The plan backfires, making Emma all the more eager to partner with Sydney to get to the truth.  What she doesn't know is that this is all part of a plan the mayor and Sydney have concocted to keep an eye on Emma.

All three of these stories are perfect examples of how quickly our desires can lead us astray when we seek to fulfill them on our own terms and timing.  The desires themselves aren't necessarily wrong (the desire to love & be loved reflects God's desire for relationship; the desire to see the mayor brought to justice so others could be free reflects God's desire for truth and freedom).  However, the ways in which each character chooses to act on those desires is wrong.  We do the same when we decide how and when we get what we want (or what we think we want) instead of waiting on God's plan.  We may not wind up stuck in a magic mirror, but we will still face the consequences of heartbreak or becoming entrapped in something that isn't good for us.  Fortunately, there is One who heals broken hearts and sets captives free.  We can turn to Him for grace and forgiveness and a second chance in which He delights to give us the desires of our hearts... on His terms and in His timing.