OK, last day in Encanto (please keep cheering to a minimum, some people like Disney…)
Now we reach the main character, Mirabel herself. Mirabel wasn’t blessed with a gift when she became the right age. She doesn’t have a room of her own. At the beginning of the film we see her introduce her whole family and declare she is part of the Madrigal family so she is special too. One of the children asks if her gift is being in denial. We see as she tries to help make the party for her cousin special. She makes special decorations, and it’s Mirabel that finds Antonio and walks him to his door to receive his gift.
And then there is a heartbreaking moment, after Antonio gets his gift (‘a gift as special as he is’) when Abuela calls the Family Madrigal together for a photo. And Mirabel gets left out. This is her breaking point. She sings ‘Waiting on a Miracle’. Its a very poignant moment . She walks unseen around her family (it’s Disney…) She starts at that place of denial, telling herself not to be upset, that’s she’s fine to stand on the side whe everyone else shines. Then she breaks. She’s not fine. She can’t do what the rest of her family can, constantly comparing herself to them. But she’s also at the point where she can’t hide how she’s feeling anymore. You can almost feel the conflict of wanting to show a happy face, feeling that she’s blessed enough to be part of the Family Madrigal, but also wanting more, wanting to shine like the rest of her family, wanting to be seen and be able to serve like the rest of the family. She lists what she would do, if only she could have a miracle too. And she ends singing sadly ‘am I too late for a miracle?’
Can you relate to her? Perhaps you’ve got siblings/parents/cousins who you think are amazing and you don’t compare to them. Maybe you think you need to hide how you’re feeling so you don’t seem ungrateful. Maybe there’s things you want to do but you’re waiting for something to happen first, something that will make that possible. Maybe you just feel unseen and invalid, like your getting in the way more than you are being of use.
But here’s the thing. Mirabel is the one that gives Antonio the courage to walk through the crowd to get his gift. Mirabel is the one who Luisa opens up to when she is feeling the pressure. Mirabel is the one who finds Bruno and talks him into helping. Mirabel is the one who encourages Isabella to try something new. Mirabel is the one who notices that the house is breaking, and the one who saves the candle that symbolises the miracle. Mirabel is exactly who is needed for the family to flourish, exactly as she is.
We could all do with a Mirabel in our lives – someone who will take the time to come alongside us and encourage us, someone to listen, someone to help us reach out potential. Maybe you are someone’s Mirabel!
We don’t need to wait for ‘a miracle’ to start acting on those deepest desires and dreams. We may need a little help along the way, but we can make that first step ourselves. And yes, you may be from an amazing family, but that doesn’t make you any less loved or amazing yourself. You are different from your family, so comparison is pointless and unhelpful. And hiding away deeply unhappy feelings just to keep the people around you happy? We’ve already looked at feelings, and it’s not right to push them down and ignore them. It’s OK to admit when your not feeling great because then you can do something about it.
So here’s the God bit: God made everyone unique and doesn’t compare, so neither should we. You have been blessed with gifts that are right for you, for your life. And you will be able to use them. You are enough, as you are. What you bring to the table is valued. Don’t try to be another person or fill another’s shoes, just do you, your way. And that is good enough.
Sometimes you won’t see the effect you have straight away. Mirabel didn’t see how special she was until the end of the film after she had saved the miracle. And that didn’t happen until after she thought she had failed. Don’t give up just because you can’t see the good stuff you bring. God can see it. And the people around you can see it.
And don’t wait on a miracle before acting on your dream. Have the courage to act on it (wisely). Because you can find hundreds of excuses to not step out but then you won’t be happy. But take that first step and who knows where you’ll go. Mirabel did. And she saved her family. (And Peter did when he stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus. On the water. Step first, the miracle will follow if needed)
OK, that’s it for Encanto. But, for a Disney movie, it’s incredibly relatable to some of the things we face everyday. Which also means it’s got some good lessons we can take away from it. And from a Christian perspective, Jesus sacrificed himself for us and we did get a blessing and a miracle. And that’s on God. We don’t have to earn it. We can’t earn it. But God gives it anyway. Just know that you are loved and you can’t escape that, because God’s love is unconditional. Don’t give up, don’t count yourself out, and don’t wait for permission to be amazing. Just keep being who you were made to be. Because God doesn’t make mistakes
The Reason for my Hope Blog 