WEEK FOUR: PUSS IN BOOTS

Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale or nursery rhyme? We can all recall characters from our favorite bedtime stories, and it’s a lot of fun to see them on screen in cartoon form. The “Shrek” movie franchise became well-known for combining characters from dozens of famous children’s stories and fairy tales all together into one storyline, but when they introduced a sword-fighting cat wearing a hat and boots no one could have predicted that the character of Puss in Boots would become popular enough to earn his own movie series!

In “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” when our feline hero has come to the end of his nine lives and realizes that his carefree lifestyle will no longer be sensible, he seeks a special wishing star that he believes he can use to wish for more lives! But he’s not the only one after that star… We soon realize that Goldilocks and the three bears are also on a journey to find the wishing star, but it isn’t until they have almost reached their destination that we become aware of Goldilocks’ motives. Although the family of bears (Mama, Papa, and Baby) has taken the orphaned girl in as one of their own, they are hurt and saddened to learn that Goldilocks is planning to use her wish to get a “real family.” Luckily, both Puss and Goldi have changes of heart: when each of them is presented with an opportunity to get what they’ve been dreaming of, they both realize that everything truly important to them is right in front of them. Both characters make the decision to sacrifice the opportunity for what they think they want, and choose instead to live their “happily ever after” with their chosen family.

When we look at the life and teachings of Jesus, we see him constantly demonstrating sacrificial love. We not only see this in his interactions with people as he heals them and responds to them with compassion, but we see his love on full display as he gives the ultimate sacrifice of his life on the cross. And this is not just a fairy tale—we believe that the love of Jesus can truly transform our hearts and lives if we invite him in. Not only that, but there’s more! Jesus also gives us practical instructions and encouragement on how to love each other the way that he loves us. If you have felt like an outsider or like you haven’t found true home or family, Jesus extends an invitation to be a part of the greatest community of all: the family of God. When we experience the unconditional, selfless, true love of Jesus, we can find a home that is “just right.”