Perfect Love

*Spoiler Alert* If you don't want to know what happens in the Disney movie Frozen!

I recently went to the movie theater to watch the latest Disney flick, Frozen.  I admit that even at thirty-two years old I still love cartoons.  Anyway I really enjoyed this movie, the whole theme centers around two princesses Elsa, the eldest, and her little sister Anna.  Elsa was enchanted from birth with the ability to freeze anything; she can make beautiful ice structures and snow with the flip of a hand.  So when they were children Anna loved it when Elsa would make winter wonderlands inside of their castle.  But one night when they were playing, Elsa accidentally hit Anna in the head with some of her ice making magic and it nearly killed the younger child.  After the king and queen frantically called upon a troll to help save the life of little Anna, Elsa was terrified of harming her sister again.  So her parents shut up the castle and Elsa stayed in her room most of her life while trying to learn to control her ever growing powers.  Elsa’s magic was hidden from everyone, even her little sister Anna’s memory of it had been wiped clean.  Elsa’s life became one of secrecy, loneliness, and fear.  While Anna grew up with openness, was happy, and full of love.

To make a long story short there comes a plot twist where Anna has been accidentally struck again with Elsa’s magic and her heart is becoming frozen.  The only way she will survive is to find a sacrificial act of love.  Of course Anna’s first thoughts are that she must get back to the kingdom to kiss her fiancé that has been left behind.  But when she reaches the palace she finds that she has been double crossed by the fiancé, he never really loved her.  So the way to live would now have to come through a kiss from another man that had been helping her find her sister in the wilderness, he was really her true love.  As these two loves try to fight through the winter storm to find each other while time is running out for Anna, her ex fiancé is about to kill her sister Elsa.  Anna jumps in front of Elsa to save her life as the last breaths leave her frozen body.  She saves her sister but is frozen into an ice statue.  In classic Disney form, just when you think it is over, Anna begins to thaw.  Anna sacrificed her own life out of love for her sister, the spell has been broken.  Start the music and they lived happily ever after.

I really valued this story! I immediately thought about what the bible says about love.  “Perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:8)  This cartoon was an illustration of how fear takes over everything; we can lose control and our peace when led by fear.  I noticed how when we try to isolate because we think we need to protect ourselves or others it doesn't help anything, we just grow colder inside.  Relationships with others are needed to enrich our lives.  Love is absolutely essential to conquer all of the struggles we will face.  I also enjoyed the part in the story about how the love between the sisters is what broke the spell, of course there was a romantic love interest in the storyline too, but it shows there are so many forms of love in our lives that are important.  Many times people want to make love into only a romantic form, but God commands us to love everyone.  There are so many wonderful relationships in our lives that need our love, attention, and sometimes sacrifice. 

Are we letting God’s perfect love dispel all of our fears?  Are we allowing other people to have true and meaningful relationships with us?  Are we trying to hold onto our lives instead of letting them go (Luke 17:33) for a greater purpose, sacrificing for others and God? 

You may think,” that’s an awful lot of stuff to get from just a cartoon!”  What can I say? When you have been saved by a loving God everything takes on a new meaning and He can be found everywhere.  I’m grateful He always makes Himself known!