Most of us know the Disney Tangled story..
Rapunzel is stolen from her intended life by an evil and placed in a tower away from all. When she gets older she escapes her imprisonment and begins an amazing adventure. She makes a new friend who helps her get to her final destination and also helps Rapunzel discover whom she really is. In the end, her new friend is willing to die to give Rapunzel her freedom.
Now, my hair does not have magical, youth restoring properties, but I do believe my journey to freedom has many parallels to Rapunzel’s… And do I need an excuse to use Disney as an analogy!
Now let’s start this story…
Once upon a time, there was a lovely teenage girl who enjoyed learning new things, being active in the pool, and living her life. Her name is Andrea [I am Rapuzel… Big shocker there!] She was goal oriented and dedicated to the desires she had for her life. Though her family had gone through hardships, there was always love. One day Mother Gothel, also known as Darkness, came into her life and she was unable to stop it. [Mother Gothel’s character reflects the evils of the world that stole me from my intended path and held me captive for so many years. She represents the lies that held me in the dark and away from the truth of whom I truly am.] The Darkness took a hold of Andrea completely and would not let her go. She began believing that life was supposed to look just as it did; she began believing the lies.
She lived in that Darkness for years and began to believe those things outside of her world were unattainable. Then one day there was a turning point and her desire was now to escape from the life she knew. She began to feel that she deserved more than that life. But the Darkness did not want to let her go. It clung on to her and used trickery to try and keep her there, however her desires were too strong. She escaped.
Shortly after journeying into this new world, Andrea made a new friend. This friend’s name is Jesus. [He is represented by the Flynn Rider character. Now it’s not a perfect fit… but his character was willing to die for Rapunzel’s freedom. That’s pretty Jesus like if you ask me!] This friend walked along side her and encouraged her on the journey. He showed her the beauty she possessed from within. He showed her love and compassion. He showed her what freedom could look like. But doubt was still a remaining struggle for Andrea. And the Darkness knew that.
The Darkness tricked her again to return to her imprisonment. But her new friend came to her rescue. And not only did he come to save her, he was willing to sacrifice his own life for her freedom. He could not let her be held captive again when he could set her free. The price of his life was nothing compared to her freedom. So, he removed what was holding her in the Darkness and made her how she was intended to be. A princess of the king – pure, whole, and loved.
In the movie, Rapunzel’s magical hair is cut by Flynn, which rids her of Mother Gothel and grants her freedom. In real life, I was given courage to cut off all my hair to symbolically remove my past. My hair represented the weight of my past and cares from my old life that I was carrying around with me. Cutting it all off removed some remaining shame and my concern with the stereotypical exterior beauty of this world. It is another step I have taken to find my beauty in who I truly am, which is a daughter of the King. I do not have to carry concerns about men liking my hair, or pleasing others. God loves me happy and free. That is what I am concerning myself with from this point forward.
So with new hair and opened eyes both characters stepped into the world now as free women. They lived life happily knowing who they truly are.
Jesus came along side me, walked next to me during my journey, and then died for my freedom. Though the analogy is not perfect, He is still the Flynn to my Rapunzel.
