A Cinderella Story

It reads like a fairytale. I suppose that makes sense as it is the boys and girls page of the January 1969 edition of The Other Sheep. The parallels between the story of Joyce and Cinderella are amazing. Enter a young girl, described as beautiful, however home is not a wonderful place. Instead of an evil step-mom and sisters, she has two parents who run an illegal gambling and alcohol business from their home. Joyce is sent on errands in the dark of night, similar to the many demands placed on Cinderella. When home she retreats to her room, curls up in bed and falls asleep. Though she's not sleeping in front of the fire place, the picture is the same as the one painted of Cinderella. Things are not going well. Enter the beautiful, white carriage, or, in Joyce's case, the beautiful, white tent. There, she hears about Jesus. This grand tent doesn't leave, and Joyce keeps going back. Suddenly, her father, too, comes to these events. His life is changed; he repents and begins living his life for Jesus. Joyce's life begins to change, however, the story is not over, for Prince Charming has yet to come. Joyce continues to seek the Lord, and just as Cinderella was given glass slippers and a chance to go to the ball, Joyce is given a scholarship and an opportunity to attend a Nazarene College. There she meets her prince, but instead of dancing off into the moonlight to become a Prince and Princess, they marry and go on to become pastors of a Nazarene church in Africa, where they live happily ever after. This is the grand Nazarene fairytale of Joyce, and it is one that slightly makes me chuckle.
Throughout this entire experience of reading, The Other Sheep, there are times when I've questioned the reality of the stories. How romanticized are they? The question that then follows, is how much can these missionaries romanticize their experiences before they harm their message? After all, the story of Joyce is intriguing and at the same time paints a beautiful depiction of the redemption power of Christ. However, not all girls in Africa will see that restoration in their families, and if they do, certainly not all of them will go off to college, meet a boy and become a smiling pastor's wife. With the way this story unfolds, it almost seems as if this happy ending is a thing belonging only to Nazarene fairytales. Will the impression become that Jesus only saves characters in stories? Or is telling stories in such a way helpful in presenting the gospel?
This blog is supposed to be somewhat of a conclusion. We have worked through The Other Sheep, following various missionaries, getting caught up in their stories. Over time the areas of work have expanded, the look of the magazine has changed, the language has become less offensive. However, something has remained the same. They keep telling stories. Stories are powerful. They move people. Yes, sometimes the fairytale method of telling these stories seems a bit silly, but why do we tell fairytales? We don't simply tell them to entertain people; they have lessons behind them. Jesus told stories too. When people questioned Him, He answered with stories. The missionaries in this magazine have shown the importance of story, as they speak of taking time to step into the stories of others, and be with them. Yes, it is important to balance a fairytale like story with lessons of truth. Following Christ is not easy, being a missionary is difficult, but when one chooses to do so, they are entering God's story. So maybe as missionaries we need to keep telling stories that people may then enter into God's great story.