Cinderella

Cinderella was a princess – we all know that, right? She was a royal descendant who was predestined, chosen even, to live as a daughter of the king.
 
I’m sure you know the story… she’s forced to become a servant, isn’t allowed to go to the ball and just at the right time – in steps the fairy godmother to save the day. Cinderella’s rags are transformed and suddenly she ‘looks’ like a princess.
 
But, you see, at midnight when the spell breaks the truth is she’s still a princess: it’s who she is. It’s her identity. The only problem is, because she no longer ‘looks’ like a princess, she flees. Cinderella placed all her value and worth on her circumstances and what she looked like. She viewed herself as worthless and so she hid, not wanting to be found.
 
You might be wondering what this has to do with the girls we reach out to on the streets of LA? Well… these girls, too, are daughters of a King (the King of kings to be exact) but their current circumstances mean that they don’t see it – some of them don’t even know it’s who they are!
 
Our identity is simply who we are: most importantly it’s our characteristics that don’t change, even with changing circumstances.
 
What might happen if these precious daughters of the King start living like that’s who they are? What if they began living like they’re children of God (the King) who have a hope and a future, instead of orphans who are worthless and unloved?
 
And we all know that the story doesn’t end there. Cue Prince Charming’s relentless pursuit, searching every house in the town for the princess, he won’t stop until he’s found her. He sees her worth, he sees who she is and he has chosen her.
 
Our hope is that one day the women we reach out to will walk in their true identity, knowing that the King of kings has loved them and pursued them since before time began.