Dreams Must Die

This is a section of the book "Before You Meet Prince Charming" by Sarah Mally, which is a great book for any young lady to read by the way, and I thought it was just really good an very applicable to me.


The princess was silent for a few moments and then began to speak slowly. "Years ago I decided that I had a purpose in life much bigger than marriage and that I would gladly stay single if my heavenly Father asked this of me. Time after time, I have prayed for His will to be done and purposed to be content. And just when I thought I had finally understood contentment, Sir Valiant came to visit, and... and... and that made everything harder. I just don't understand why I can't learn to trust and am so easily distracted. And why -" she concluded with a sigh, "why does this have to be so difficult?"
"Struggles are a necessary part of life," her mother said. "They strengthen us and prepare us for the new trials that lie ahead. When one struggle is overcome, another one is often around the next bend."
"I suppose. But Mother, I feel like I'm failing each struggle, not overcoming them."
"You are growing. You are learning. These are the very things the struggle is designed to accomplish in your life. Do not forget, dear daughter, that except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."
"Bear fruit... that's exactly what I want to do," the princess said quietly, as if deep in thought.
"Then your dream must die."
"But my dream is a good dream, not a bad dream. It is the dream God has given me. It is nothing wicked I desire, but only what is natural, wholesome, and beautiful. Why must it die?"
Her mother stepped off the path, knelt down, picked up an acorn, and explained, "Observe this acorn, perfectly designed for what it is intended to do - die. The acorn does not know why; the acorn does not understand what is ahead, but only if it is buried in the cold and dark earth - forgotten and left alone - does it fulfill its purpose and become what it was created to be. Would the acorn ever have imagined that it would become the beautiful oak tree you see before you? Not in it's wildest dreams. When you admire the oak tree, do you mourn the loss of the acorn? Of course not. By losing it's life, the acorn became something so much greater, so much more beautiful, so much more valuable. The death is forgotten. The fruit is remembered. Nevertheless, death was required.